The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-08-23
Must Not Be Held on Kansas
Avenue ANY Longer.
STREET is BLOCKADED
Can Use Any Other Street Says
Chief Steele.
Salvationists Gladly Welcome
the the Opportunity
To Make "Martyrs" of Them
selves by Disobeying Orders.

The Salvation Army will clash this
evening with Chief Steele and the po-
lice department over the question of
using Kansas avenue for public meet
ings.
For several months the Salvation Ar
my has been allowed the privilege of
holding their open air meetings at diff
ferent points on Kansas avenue and al
so on side streets. The Army has con-
Quoted meetings where large crowds
gathered and Kansas avenue has been
occupied from the curbStone to the car
tracks with people and buggies. Peo-
pie driving have some times been un-
able to drive around this blockade ana
many complaints have been made. The
noise of the bass drum and the tam
bourines has scared many horses on
Kansas avenue, and for this, COM
plants have been filed with CHIEF
Steele.
Saturday evening and also last ev-
ening horses were frightened by the
noise of the Salvationists.
This morning Chief Steel notified
Capt. Joseph Hawk of the Salvation
Army, to desist from holding open air
meetings on Kansas avenue. The lat
ter demonstrated, but Chief Steele told
him that if the order was disobeyed he
would have to arrest the members of
the Salvation Army.
Captain Hawk held a conference of
officers and decided to test the rights
lie meetings on Kansas avenue or any
other street of the city.
Speaking of it today, he said:
1.-The Salvation Army, we think, has
a right to hold open air meetings on
any of the streets. Surely our streets
are wide enough to allow of our hold
ing meetings without blocking the
streets. Our work is among the people
and we often reach people by these
street meetings that we couldn't get to
come to our hall. We consider this our
right. In other places the police have
attempted to drive US off the streets,
but we have two or three supreme
court decisions to rely upon. We have
decided to hold our meeting this even
choose to arrest us we will see what
the higher courts will do for us. We
are not inclined to be antagonistic in
the matter, but we want to stand up
for our rights, and this we intend to do
tonight"
Chief of Police Henry M Steele was
asked about his order prohibiting the
Salvation Army from holding open air
meeting on Kansas avenue. He said:
II notified them that they couldn't t
hold their meetings on Kansas avenue.
They can use the side streets, if they
choose, just so they don't make a
blockade. But will not allow them to
meet on Kansas avenue to hold meet
ings. Several runaways have occurred
from these Salvation Army meetings
on Kansas avenue, and I propose to
put a stop to it. If they violate my or
der, I will arrest them
The city ordinances do not permit
the streets to be blockaded by any per-
son or any assemblage of persons. This
ordinance conforms to the state law,
and the Salvation Army will find that
the courts will SO declare if they take
their case to that tribunal. The streets
were laid out for the use of the peo-
pie for the purpose of going from place
to place, not for holding meetings on.
If the city authorities so desired, they
could stop every form of meeting on
the public streets. 1t is only by suf-
ferance that theykare held there The
Salvation Army just the same as other
organizations must conform to the law
Any attempt to make martyrs out of
themselves by being arrested for block
aiding Kansas avenue will not draw
public sympathy, particularly when all
the side streets off of Kansas avenue
are open to their use. The city govern
ment could stop circus parades if they
proved troublesome to public conven-
ience. and it can also stop Salvation
Army parades, or any kind of parades
The Salvation Army should recognize
that its nightly parades are a privilege;
not a right