The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1903-02-05
TO ORGANIZE. SOON
THE CLEGYS OPEN LETTER
AND CALL FOR LAW AND ORDER LEAGUE
To Enforce the Sunday Closing Law.

ELLENsBURG, Wash, Jan. 49, 1908
EDITOR The DAWN:
! The people of this city and valley are
thoroughly aroused to a sense of indig-
nation by a set of certain. individuals
who persist in trampling the laws of
the great state of Washington under
foot, and their Indignation has not
/ been ameliOrated by the disgraceful
jury farces that have taken place in our
police courts in the last few days.
The saloons of this city have been
running wide open on Sunday in direct
violation of Sec. 1850 Of End Ballenger
! code of law of this state, and the identi
cal officer whom the law enjoins under
a heavy penalty to enforce this law, has,
upon the most frivilOus pretenses
shirked his duty and thrown the ardu-
GUS task as well as the obloquy upon the
shoulders of grandmothers and great
grandmothers, to have these law-break
ers brought to justice. Mr.. Editor, what
is our country coming to? Is not the man
vi oCb VI luCi W ~ VI oONh oi' WY
the laws of their country an anarchist?
Does not Webster define an anarchist to
be zone who promotes disorder in
strife" Now who promotes disorder
more than a class of men who openly de-
fies and repudiates the law openly defies
and repudiates the law of their own
state? Let us read this Sec. 1850 of md
Bllenger code. Hear it:
"Any person who shall keep open any
play house or theater, background, cock
pit, or play at any game of chance for
gain, or engage in any noisy amuse-
ments, or keep open any drinking or
billiard saloon, or sell or dispose OF any
Intoxicating, liquors as beverage, orr
on the first day of the week, commonly
called Sunday, shall, upon conviction
thereof, be punished by fine of not
less than thirty dollars, nor more than
two hundred and fifty dollars. All fines
collected for violation of this section
shall be paid into the common school
fluid"
And yet, their ''astute" attorney
says that "the saloon men have done
business on Sunday in Ellensburg for
nineteen years, tohis his certain knOwl-
edge, and they intend to do business on
Sunday in the future" Is it the duty
of an honorable attorney to advise his
Chants to violate the law? And is not
such advice the key note of anarchy?
What kind of a legislator would he be
in the United States senate where there
nr Il nt bnp- 70 ipsIl1tc
Would he be the proper person to make
laws for law abiding citizens? And
thank God his five votes did not make
make him our legislator. But listen.
distance? 1t is simply a storm brew
ing. The good citizens Of Ellensburg
feel the disgrace keenly, while hun
dreds of our farmers have awakened up
to the realization of the truth that their
\ own young sons are taking their first
lessons in debauchery in the Sunday
saloons in Ellensbnrg, their Indignation
knows no bounds, the war is on, read
their call to arms:
State of Washington
County of Kittitas Jan 26, 1903
City of Ellensburg,
WHEREAS, That the disregard OF
the laws of our state and city by the
vicious classes of this place and sur
rounding country is becoming intoler-
able to our good citizens and exceed
ingly dangerous to the rising gener-
alton of young people, and ..
WHEREAS, The Communicating in
1 huence of the saloon, the gambling
houses and houses of prostitution and
: other places of vice are being discrim-
5 mated in such proportions as to endan-
ger our free institutions as well as the
q morals of this community, so much so,
that our peace officers tremble with
fear, and the trials in our police courts
have become disgraceful farce, and
WHEREAS, The above named insti-
tutions of crime and shame should be
l made to comply with the laws of our
state and city or be wholly exterminat-
! ed and to accomplish this end, we, the
/ citizens of the above named county and
y city, whose names are hereuntO sub
r scribed, do hereby
4 RESOLVE, That we form and con-
l stitute ourselves into law and order
e league, that we may act collectively in
: using all lawful means to bring about
5 such reforms as good citizenship may
e require.
i A. +. MCLEAN,
+ A. LOCKWOOD,
e WIN. PARK,
e w. E. PETTIBONE,
= N. S. MCCALLUM,
= AND 40 OTHERS.