Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-02-19
THE PROBLEMS
OF SEATTLE
Political Conditions Taxes Street improvements VICE
A Business Programme for the FOtOfe

from rapid growth have largely bee
met from saloon revenues and a d
rect tribute from vice. Mayor Hume
admits that the felony statute has rt
duced the income from this source
Seattle has been the worst advertise
city in the world in respect to vice
and yet the actual facts are that tn
city is no worse than any other sea
port of its size. The famous dead
line. where decency does not obtrude
can be found in any harbor town from
Nagasaki to Liverpool. The distric
devoted to degenerate humanity grow
blackcr as you approach the tropics
or the poles, and the "tenderloin,' as
Il is known on the Pacific Coast
grows obsolete in cities of the same
size in the temperate zone. The
whole system Of collecting revenues
from vice is attended by demoraliza
ton of public sentiment, and debauch
cry of the public service. At present
Il may be a theory, but there is a
growing disgust and wholesome re-
pudiatlon among cleaner-handed peo-
pie at sharing in the profits Of vice,
even in the indirect form of public
revenues. The forward cry Of the
century is, "No partnership with
vice"
Is Clean Administration Possible7
The difficulties in the way of better
government at Seattle are the two
partisan machines. The political bat.
ties in King and Pierce counties EN-.
phasize the Importance Of party 10y.
atty. While Seattle is Republican by
three thousand majority in a presi.
dental year, the opposition to the
dominant party almost wipes out that
majority in city campaigns A nomi.
nation system puts another premium
on the regular ticket. Under a
"brace" primary law, a caucus of the
rlngleaders is held the night before
the primary to make the slate Of del
egates and then the push" sees that
It goes through the next day, as inde.
pendent states are very difficult to
get on the official ballot. There is
almost no way to get any but the
regular ticket of the old parties in the
field. The Republican party is so
strong that It's organ holsters the reg.
ular Democratic organizations, know.
ing II II can only keep It in the field
II has a walllover to continuance in
power. To take the power Of making
nominations out Of the hands Of the
gang is the only avenue to better mu.
nicipal conditions. Now the taxpayer
has to stand for the primary and elec.
tion expenses on top Of all the city,
school, county and state taxes.
There is no way out Of the present
increasing mire Of municipal corrup.
ton but an absolutely non-partisan
business administration The appli.
cation Of civil service rules under
partisan spoils-goyernmeut only
strengthens the crowd in power The
city attorneys Office under civil ser.
vice control is no check upon a cor.
rupt combination in the city hall, be.
cause it is the creature of that com,
biue, When asked what would be
done II matters got worse. Mr.. VIII
Parry the president of the city coun
ell, replied that the people would have
10 throw them all out and run the
city for awhile under business ad,
ministration He is a strong parti
san himself and can tolerate no mug
wumpery but ne was one of a crowd
that did overthrow the machine IN
the palmy days of a corrupt era of
the past and admits that il may have
TO be done again He takes a hopeful
view OF the city's future. saying that
they are attempting to accomplish IN
a generation what Eastern cities hay.
done in a century.