The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1903-07-29
REV. 0. B. WHlrMORE
ON THE RAG BABY" EPISODE
Says the Law Regulating the Ped
ding of IntOxicants is Faulty
and Needs Fixing.
North Yakima. July %, 1903.

desire you to publish, together with a
few suggestions all my own.
am the last man in the world to
Jump onto Il man for an act of which
he is innocent or stand by and see him
mlustly roasted" without giving him
an opportunity of defending himself.
He has written me straight forward let
ter, and the public ought to know the
facts in the case as he states them in
that letter. | found the rag baby" in
my mail box the next morning after !
had been at the prosecuting attorneys
Office and entered complaint concerning
Mr.. Flctcher's business, and it had the
card of Mr. Fletchcr's agent attached to
it. and as this is not the first time that
| have received the compliments of the
saloon business. of course | thought he
sent it.
North Yakima. July Il, 1903.
o. b. Whitmorc. Pastor Congregational
church. Nachcs valley:
Dear Sir:--l have Just been reading
al article in the Republic, hca led
"Warmly Roasted y Saloor keeper and
referring to me a. the saloon keeper
roasted. When | received that invita-
ton to attend church in the Nachcs val
ley. ] took il aS Il Joke. and could not
make out what it meant until
reporter of the Republic called on me.
Is stated in the Republic. | knew moth
of the insult to You. | do run il wagon
in the surrounding country, and for
the privilege of doing so pay one humid
RED dollars year for il wholesale bust
ness deliver the goods and collect the
money. am strictly in keeping within
hcunds of the law. 1t j. strictly against
my principles to antagonize any church
on the other hand | have always upheld
tie church, and respect good christians
and ministers of the gospel. | am very
sorry that there are those who would
stoop so low as to thrust an insult at
minister such as you claim has been
done. 1t has been done by some of
yom own neighbors. and not by any
saloon man, and | do not think it lust
that you should roast me without first
III, esti"atng the matter. Do not Jump
onto man for an act that he is inno-
OF Your own congregation.
Very respectfully yours.
BERT FLETCHER
Evidently from the tone of his letter,
Mr.. Fletcher is too good Il man to be
engaged in the saloon business. He has
not been correctly informed as to the
real nature of the business in which he
i, engaged, and | am sure that when he
does find out the facts in the case
namely, that the saloon business AN
tagonizes the church from start to fin
ish, he will quit the business and find
employment which Is not only more re-
spectacle but also more in accord with
his strict principles
The church rs well as the home, So
ciety and the state, has no deadlier foe
than the saloon, and il is impossible for
Mr.. Fletcher to remain in that business
and uphold the church" and respect
good christians and ministers of the
gospel" For as water cannot rise above
its source. neither can man rise above
the character of his business in the
estimation of his fellow men. 1t is the
general concensus of public opinion, that
the character of mans business is the
index to his character OF course there
are exceptions to this rule. but these
exceptions prove the rule. He that is
not for me is against me-" said the
Christ.
The saloon is not for the Christ or
His church. but on the other hand is
against all that is Christlike.
Mr.. Fletcher should no longer live in
open violation of his avowed principles,
as stated in his letter, but quit the bus
mess at once which we hope he will do.
He says: Il knew Nothing about the
insult to YOU" it has been done by some
of your own neighbors "and was prob
ably done by one of your own cOngrega
ton" No, Mr.. Fletcher, the party who
did it is not a member of my congrega-
ton, but one of your crowd, for the
well known and | want that party to
consider well the estimate which you
place upon an act of that kind when you
say of it. Il am very sorry that there
are those who would stoop so low"
Just so. and | suppose YOU would say
the same of the young man, who, in
your name placed the TASKS of whiskey
upon the Christmas tree in the Upper
Naches valley year or two ago. with
the names of young men marked on