The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-03-16
CITY COUNCIL DISCUSSED THE
MATTER AT THE MEETING
LAST NIGHT.
Effort Made to Put Chief of Police
Brown in,a Hele-Scherne
Failed.


! that of enforcing the state law provid-
ing for the closing of saloons and all
other business houses on Sunday. The
matter was brought about by two pc
! titions calling upon the council to take
/ steps ut once to enforce the law, and
, for a time it looked though the
council would shirk its duty and force
the matter upon Chief of Police Brown
However those who attempted to make
tor in the movement will now have to
handle the subject themselves.
i The trouble arose when the clerk
read the two petitions. One WAS signed
by Robert J. Stringer and recited as
! follows:
ITO the honorable mayer ard city
councilmen: My petition is for the pro-
lection Of the young people, by your
enforcing the Sunday laws To make
theaters. saloons and gambling houses
obey the laws, especially on Sundays
according to state laws and not keep
open all night. Ii You 90 rot the time
Will come when men Will succeed your
body that will obey Gods law and the
constitution Of the United States
Then the second petition signed by
{. +. short. and about four hundred
other persons. including quite y nurn-
Der of women. WAS read as follows:
| We. the undersigned. members of
the Baptist Young Peoples Union and
citizens of Walla WalIa. respectfully
petition your honorable body TO en-
force the Sunday closing laws in this
city under the authority granted YOU
by the state of Washington relative
thereto. and We urge upon You to TAX"
immediate steps in the direction and
your petitioners Will ever pray,
Councilman Smith Immediately
of police with full power to act. The
motion being duly seconded. was an
nounced by Mayor Hunt. when Chief
of Police Brown asked permission to
address the council. The permission
being granted. Chief Brown said that
he was willing to enforce every law
that was passed by the council ana
stood ready to do his duty. but that
he did not think it was fair that the
! VIII tar n a. 81 III
be thrown on his shoulders. He be
lieved that the council should stand
behind him and uphold him in what
ever he did in enforcing the city ordi-
nances. The Sunday closing act was
Il state law and he deemed it the duty
Of the county or state officials to en-
willing to do his duty. but he first
wanted to have Il complete under
standing as to what action the council
would take in the matter.
Mayor Hunt again put the question.
when Councilman GIasford took The
floor and stated that rs he understood
the matter the city had no ordinance
on the subject. and until there was
such d statute on the city law books
he did not deem it fair deal to force
the chief Of police TO take the initia~
tive step. There was 4 state law gov
aIring the matter and if there was any
| viola ton of its provisions il was the
duty of the county officials to handle
the matter. 1t was the duty OF any
citizen who was coSnizant that the law
was being violated to make the proper
complaint to the county officials and
they would have TO enforce it. He
said ii was a well known fact that the
sheriffs Office had absolutely refused
to take any steps to enforce the law
unless complaint had been made. Il
warrant issued and given to the prop
er officials of that department to
serve For that reason alone he did
not think it would be fair for the coun-
ell TO throw the matter entirely upon
the chief of police's shoulders.
| Councilman Mexican said as the
matter was governed solely by the state
Flaw a complaint should be filed with
the proper county officials and then it
would be the duty of the sheriff or
other county peace officers to carry
out its provisions.
| Councilman Brewer was of the opin-
ion that if the matter was entirely
governed by the state law It was GER
tainly the duty Of the county officials
to handle the matter and it would be
ont of order for the council to force
the matter upon the chief Of police.