The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-18
A PULPIT WARNING.
Rev. Wallace Nutting's Talk on
This City's disagreement.
REBuKE TO SHAM ..REFoRmERs.
Pastor OF Plymouth Church In His Pre-
lude Cries Out Against Glar.
ing Corruption.

Sunday night. was a subject of general
discussion on the streets yesterday. 1t
had not been published in any of the
newspapers, but everyone vino heard it,
and there was the usual large audience
present, talked about it, and in that way
It became known all over the city that Mr..
Nutting had arraigned the administration
OF the city government in scathing terms.
Mr.. Nutting every Sunday night gives q
short talk to his congregation as q prelude
to, although not having any connection
with, his sermon. These preludes are
always upon some live topic OF the day.
and the range of public matters so dis
cussed is very wide. His audience num-
bers many prominent men, including
police commissioners and other city
officials. He chose for last Sunday nights
prelude the subject of '.City Misgovern-
ment." Mr.. Nutting was asked yesterday
to give to the PosT-lNTELlIGENCER the pre-
Jude complete, but this he could not do, as
he does not write thess talks, delivering
them In the most informal manner posi-
bic. However, upon urgent solicitation
he furnished synopsis of his talk as he
remembered its leading points. This is as
follows:
The city government, on being ushered into
office, claimed to be a reform administration.
We do not think it strange that some of its
promises were forgo;ten-it would be hard to re-
member them ell. But we had right to expect
decent government, at least Have we had it?
few months ago there was an attempt to pass
an ordinance enlargiug the borders of the
saloon district on Third street. The attempt
failed by IL veto Of the mayor. who said he had
received about 5000 protests against the ordin.
ance. 1t would seem that the mayor was all
nj or md Aevr
that time, since . majority of the branches of
the city council were seen to be favorable to
saloon extenfion. Now, In the absence of the
Mayor another bill il on it passage, II not al
ready passed, to accomplish the aim SO lately
defeated. According to this bill you will soon
have no protection against saloons in the same
blocks with your churches ON Third street. AS
II this were not bad enough, the city govern
ment has granted saloon privileges at the end of
one OF our street railways on Lake WASH
ington, aud the spirit that granted this cannot
be depended upon to deny the same privilege at
the end of the other car lincs. The city
governments deems it best to poilute public
grounds, where your wives and daughters go
for an afternoon evening in summer. with
evils which are not tolerated in some of the
worst ring.ruled cities OF the East Is it out of
respect to their own families, or to the families
OF the decent citizens. that our government has
thus disgraced itsetf As if the cup of shame
oil the public veal. after frat ordinance, intro
duced by Mr.. Coryell. to close the looms in the
small hours of the night, had been "lost," have
now defeated second ordinance which aimed
at the same decent measure. Shall we say that
when the measure was first brought forward the
men who would have to pass upon it were too
cOwardly to 40 what they knew was right and
SO "iost'' it, to avoid vote? 1t would be un-
charitable to think so. But when q measure,
opposed by recognized organization of liquor
sellers, on the ground that night closing would
hurt their business, when measure calculated
to send out into the streets where the police
could lay hold OF them the thugs aud drones of
society is brought again before our
city government, the men who have
been elected to make good laws have
not the manliness to vote for it.
l ask you what sort OF people. what kind of
clients are they, who patrOnize the saloons be-
tween the hours of a. m. and q m? When
our city fathers have sunk so low that they find
it advisable to pander to the class who harbor in
the saloons at these hours it is time for change
When the fear of injuring the business of men
who pay a small part OF the city taxes leads the
city government to veto a measure calculated to
secure the persons and property of those who
pay most OF the taxes, we incline to the opinion
that our reform administration 10 not on the
way to heaven or to reelection.
AS to the administration OF justice, friend of
mine WHOSE house was robbed found some of
his goods in u secondhand store. He was in
formed that the man who sold them had been
seen about these several times day since the
sale. Ny friend reported these facts TO head
quarters and was informed that the easiest way
to get the goods back was to buy them, = thing
which was ofteu done.
Mr.. Nutting then touched upon the
management of the police department,
citing several instances where the loose
manner in which it has been conducted,
was illustrated. Speaking of this point
yesterday, Mr.. Nutting said: 1T is only
fair to say, in allowing this prelude to go
to publication. that the patrol force IS re-
garded by the chief as totally inadequate.
Then let them at least be the best men
procurable."
Continuing the prelude was in substance
as follows:
We have kept the records of the votes On the
questions mentioned above, and we should
make a white list of the men, W no In the face of
difficulties ara trying to do the right thing BIT
it is time now for q citizens league, composed
O. ii great number OF solid men, to see that we
have government that shall carry out the
wishes OF the people Men are being aroused to
the rank misdeeds OF q council that smells To
heaven, and cur1ies favor with an svowed
organization to foster the saloon interests and
even corrupts the farest pleasure resorts OF our
city. The names OF the men no have voted on
the right side and the wrong side have been
published