The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-01-15

an awakened determination that makes
for righteous aspiration and conduct is i'm
possible.
In our judgment DR.. Parkhurst's methods
are unsound and defective; he wastes his
time playing detective and raiding sa-
looms and disorderly houses. He tex
poses" no vice that all New York does not
know exists; he exposes no facts concern
ing the municipal police administration
under Tammany that verybody is not ia
miliar with. The preacher can hope to re-
form municipal politics so far as they bear
upon the enforcement of a decent respect
for morality only in the editors way: he
must reform his congregation through his
pulpit and trust to the diffusive influence
and action of his congregation to reform
politics.
No editor, who has any moral sense mar
ried to common sense, turns himself into
an amateur detective or local smelling
COMMITTEES; and no preacher leaves his
pulpit for any such purpose any more
than an editor leaves his pulpit to ascer-
tain by ocular evidence that there is gam
bling. RIGHTEOUSNESS and intemperance in
Seattle. The sensible preacher and editor
seek to nourish and maintain by their
preaching the highest public opinion con-
corning the Importance Of making the
elections as pure as possible; the public
officers as upright and high-minded as We
can get; in short, to do the best we can to
enforce law and maintain public decency.
But if preacher and editor from
their respective pulpits can not rouse
the public to do their duty in
the premises. and municipal admins
tration becomes lax and public morality
loose, then our duty is to faint not, to
keep up our preaching, and not leave our
puIpits for moment under the delusive
idea that either preacher or editor can ac-
complish anything by turning amateur de-
tective and local smelling committee that
our preaching has failed to accom-
plish. If our congregations are with
US their public opinion would soon
make itself felt; and if they are not
with as We must continue our eff
forts to replace dull, stagnant, low
public opinion with purer and better
faith. Vice needs not exposures: its exist
ence is as well understood by every sane
man as the existence of the air which one
breathes, but cannot see. The fact that
vicious resorts exist needs no demonstra-
ton, but the influences that make for the
restraint or extirpation of such resorts
rest with public opinion that kno,cs all
about such things. How much that pub
lie opinion cares about such things settles
the standard Of municipal administration.
The work of reform is a preacher and q
teachers uork, not prowling detectives
labOrs. Raid public opinion; raid the
hearts and minds of men as sharply as
you please; lift your public opinion, re-
generate human hearts, make them resolve
not to sin and evil haunts will begin to
languish for lack Of customers, but to ex-
pect to make men virtuous by closing the
public doors of vice, to expect that men
wall go to church because the saloon or the
brothel is shut or difficult of access,
is absurd. There is nothing to be
done but to create the best public opinion
possible; to lift it as fast and as far as posi-
BILE, knowing that your laws will not be en-
forced, your municipal administration
will not be above the level of your public
opinion. To illustrate. Gambling is toler-
ated under the law in Seattle. Whyf
Because public opinion among many men
of considerable influence and decent pri.
vate morals favors the federation of gam
bling.
1t was only last week that the mayor
was asked to tolerate gambling. The Pc
tition said: "And, further believing that
games are bound to exist in some form or
other, We earnestly wish for the opening
of what have been known as gentlemen's
club rooms in the past, as we think it
would be to the business interests Of the
city" When reputable business men,
who do not gamble, are so little disposed
| to enforce the law against gambl ing on
the ground that its suppression "hurts
business" why need We wonder that
| gambling proceeds in violation of law?
This plea for gambling is low, sordid
and immoral; it stands for low pub
lie opinion. but as long as that public
opinion prevails what can be expected of
the police and municipal authorities but
weakness. What is the remedy? Surely
it does not lie in vital statistics concern
ing gambling that everybody knows; it
lies in the creation ola public opinion that
would make it scandalous for a man to pc.
titIon the mayor to tolerate gambling on
the ground that cit would be for the bust.
ness interests of the city to do sou Now,
| let the ministers stop playing amateur de.
tectives to find out what everybod knows:
let them assail that dull, stagnant public
opinion tn all their congregations that kno,cs
all these things but does not care, and
preach them into state of conscience
which will not tolerate gambling on the
stupid as well as immoral plea that it
''helps the business interests of the city,"
The clerical detective tells his congrega-
ton nothing that its potential forces do
not all kn0p better than he does; let the
preacher preach his audience up to a
higher level OF public opinion. where the
audience not only knoWs but cares about
such things. Until men are preached into
purity they cannot be made pure by saloon
and brothel exclusion acts. Christ de-
nounced sinners and sin bitterly enough
but he treated the Magdalen and the
taEan nd ;+b