The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-02-21
FROM MIR. c. B. BAaLEY.
In Reply to the Chief Of Police Con.
corning tho City Government.

In Reply to the Chief Of Police Con.
corning tho City Government.
SEATTLE, Feb. %, 1891.
To THE EDITOR; More important matters
have occupied my time since the appearance Of
Chief Monroe's letter in your columns last
Wednesday, in which my statements on the
door OF the house Of delegates were called in
question, and some of them denounced a. lies
The chiefin his communication has lost sight
OF the matters at issue before the public just now
He il but an incident, . cog in the machine, one
OF the puppets which dances a. the organ Is
turned. 1t 10 OF small moment whether there
have been thirty -four or Us games running In
the city, whether the square games or the
bunco-steerers sit next the throne, whether the
more pretentious houses or the small cribs in
the alleys Of Whitechapel respond the most
freely with their weekly assessments and "divy
OF the tricks they take" What concerns the
writer and the taxpayers and the reputable
people of the city il the extravaganza and cor
ruptiOn that exist in the city government
The writer as citizen and Q member Of the city
council resents and denounces q condition OF af-
fairs that permits some of the most notorious
gamblers and saloon-keepers OF the city to be
the daily visitors at the Offices OF tie mayor and
the chief of police. He resents the fact that
man, who but a short time since sran'' two
saloons that had the reputation of being
among the vilest of their kind on Washington
street, and whose patrons are alleged to have
been among the vilest of tho vile habitues of
that vile district, should now have control OF
the police force of this city, and this mans AZ
sumption Of ignorance in regard TO the acts OF
the gamblers and bunco-steerers would be
amusing were the condition of affairs less SER
ious The writer resents condition of affairs
that 10 said to make it almost impossible for Q
reputable citizen to gain audience with the
mayor, with the chief Of police, or with several
fhnp Dc nf
wait until some of the pet gamblers
and whisky sellers of the First ward
and the "ring' first take their feet of the Office
desks and themselves out of the Office chairs Of
the heads OF the government of Seattle, CT else
state his business in the presence of these men.
The writer resents the fact that the four leading
officers of the late Republican club of the First
ward of this city, should have been either sa-
loon-keepers or gamblers, or both, and he re-
sents more bitterly that these men and their
cronies OF like ilk are permitted to dictate how
the city shall be run. He resents the fact that
where there are not Offices enough to satisfy
these men, or where the occupants of certain
offices are too honest to suit these men, that the
mayor should deem it his duty to endeayor to
secure the creation of others. The writer re-
sents the fact that these men, aided by the
mayor, have already singled out to their salts
faction the men in the First and Second
wards whom they intend to elect as alder
men in the Sixth and Eighth wards to supply
the vacancies now exfsting and, in passing,
the attention of the better element of the city is
called to the necessity of registering or the
plans OF these men will succeed. The gamblers,
saloon men, hobos and all the vicious element
of the Sums of the city have already attended
to this important duty of the American citizen,
but the men who deplore the present condition
of affairs are too busy behind their counters, at
their desks and in their pulpits to spend few
minutes in the performance OF this duty that
must be done to enable them to defeat at the
polls the Vaccinations of the gang and the ring
The writer does not look for the near approach
OF the millennium, nor does he expect that card
sharps, confidence operators or prostitutes
can all be driven from the city,
nor compelled to obey the laws and
ordinances OF the city He recognizes
the fact that Seattle is a hard city to govern
filled as some of its districts are with the aban-
doned and the criminal of both sexes and all ma
tions; but the open, unrestricted gambling
where all the dishonest practices of the blackleg
are permitted and used to accomplish the rob-
berry of the boys, the young clerks, the hard
working miners, loggers and laborers,lcan be
stopped, and the seasoned sports or confirmed
gamblers can be compelled to secrets themselves
in out-of-the-way places, behind guarded doors,
where they will have to fatten upon each other
for a time, and then seek other fields and pas
lures new. The bruisers aud plug-uglies can ba
prevented from exercising or exhibiting their
brutal or dangerous practices, and they also
viii soon find Seattle unhealthy and unprofit-
able. The denizens of Whitechapel
may not be all driven from the
city, but the occupants of the s.houses"
can be compelled to observe all outward forms
OF decency and the inmates of the cribs can be
compelled to desist from pocket picking and
midnight robbery and murder, and the most
hardened of them, including their equally vile
male companions, can be sent 10 the peniten.
tiary or driven from the city. All laws human
and divine, are constantly violated, and there in
no reason to hope that the ten commandments
viii be much better observed in Seattle than in
other cities OF its size and cosmopolitan charac-
ter. but If the mayor, the police commissioner
and chief OF police will perform their respective
duties Seattle can be made place of reasonable
responsibility.
The writer understands full well that the
"gang" are trying to make respectability odious
and that the present raid upon Whitechapel
women and the total exemption from arrest or
molestation of the male element who have con-
stantly violated the laws, is part OF the con-
spiraey. The chief asks for charges and proofs
and demands that citizens shall become detec.
tives and insormers, and the way he is execut
ing, or rather failing to execute, the lawn NAV
compel them to do so.
In conclusion, IL the above is not direct
enough or emphatic enough for the chief and hi.
masters and his and their allies to understand
ii, and they VIII indicate any additional point
on which they desire application or added
emphasis, they can readily obtain it on applica-
ton 10 c. B. BAGLkY.
Paris II the Seattle of Europe.