The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-12

The Councils Power TO ACT.
The city council is within both It's
power and It's duty In taking action to
abolish side entrances and private boxes
IN the saloons OF Seattle. The public
appreciates the difficulties that are
heaped upon the council BY the refusal
OF other authorities to enforce even the
elementary requirements OF order and de-
cency. But It should not evade them. and
We do not believe that it will Upon
these representatives Of the people win
rest for the present the labor Of caring
for the peoples dearest interest. Az far
az the denominations referred to above
are concerned. the way seems to be rea-
sonabiy simple.
OF course an ordinance prohibiting side
entrances and private boxes in all places
where liquor Is sold ought to be passed
Immediately. No other duty can take
precedence Of II, and no consideration
could excuse failure. This custom Of pro-
viding secret places where members of
the two sexes may meet for Drinking and
immoral purposes is no proper part OF
the business Of dealing in intoxicants. A
license to sell liquor should not carry any
saloon are vile excrescences. grown in
tolerable through the working OF greed
and RIGHTEOUSNESS. They should be cut
of without one word OF protest. and we
hope to see the council take such action
at the earliest possible moment. Every
good citizen should make Il his business
to see the member of the council from
his ward and request such action without
delay.
Even In the absence Of such an ordi-
nance. however. the council is by no
means impotent. The important and sal
utary power to revoke licenses Hes with
this body. and its discretion is large. The
applicant for retail liquor license in
Seattle has fewer conditions to comply
with than he would meet In almost any
other city In the country Nevertheless
there are some. II Is provided in the
bond which every applicant for a license
must furnish that "the applicant for such
license shall keep an orderly house and
will not give away or sell liquor TO mi
nors." There Is not saloon IN Seattle
with side entrance which win bear the
title Of an orderly house. as that term
is used In municipal procedure.
| 1t Is further provided In Section Is OF
the same ordinance that mo lewd men
| or women. or minors shall be allowed to
letter In or remain about places where
Intoxicating liquors are licensed to be
sold. To knowingly allow the persons
forbidden by this section to ioiter In or
remain about the place where intoxicat-
ing liquors are licensed TO be sold shall
! be sufficient grounds for the revocation
Of such license" Here Is a power OF
| punishment which every saloonkeeper
breads far more than arrest or ane. AT
the worst. In the latter case he mus,
4 koStsit only SoupAfAlNety small sum.
! II he cannot make terms so as TO escape
all molestation. But the revocation o,
his license. destroying his business alto
| gether, Is a more terrifying possibility.
Now this power Of revocation lies with
the council: and the liquor ordinance says
expressly that licenses may be revoked
for violation Of any OF its terms A sup
Elementary ordinance requires saloons to
be closed between O'Clock and O'Clock
a. IN. II would break UP most OF these
aens Of Iniauity n that were obeyed; II
Il is not. the license can be taken away.
No licensed resort can lay claim to be an
orderly house" II 1t has wine rooms.
That Is clear on the face of n, But n /,
is not orderly, 81 has no right TO hold
It's license. We have already shown am
ply that Il "iswd men and women. we're