The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-11-14

I This is recognized as true in almost
every great city in the land. A nota-
BILE series of articles on The Shame
of the Cities" has appeared in one
of our great magazines and has
startled and aroused the conscience
of millions.
Is 1t in any degree true of our own
city? Even here, where life on the
whole is clean and wholesome, where
ideals are high, the most powerful
element in municipal politics is that
element which is most corrupt and
degraded and dangerous.
If municipal politics should be
dominated by the interests of the
school it would not be so strange.
Our children are in school, this is~ a
city of homes and almost every home
has its representatives in the public
schools; but when municipal politics
is dominated by the saloons it is
dominated by that element which is
opposed 10 every interest of both
home and school.
If municipal politics should be
dominated by the interests of re-
ligion no one would be worse off. Re-
ligion makes men sober, sane, just,
kind, thoughtful, true. But when
our city is run in the interests of the
saloons it puts as the controlling
element those forces that rob men
of their sobriety and sanity, which
makes them unjust, unkind, careless,
Indifferent and false to everything
which life holds most dear. In our
coming city election the politicians
of the city will be afraid to nominate
man who would be in favor of
compelling the saloons to obey the
laws enacted for their regulation.
venture the assertion. however, that
these same politicians who want,
above all things else, to win out at
the next election. would not be
afraid TO nominate a man who dis
approves of the church and who
dares to express his disapproval. 1t
has been reported that the thing
which secured the nomination of
one of our aldermen at the last mu
nicipal election was the remark ITO
hell with the church.
am in favor of putting men in
office who have a conscience and VINO
are not too cowardly to obey it,
Is it too much to insist that man
hood should have some chance in this
town? That purity should have
chance? That the municipal affairs
Of this city should be conducted as
far as possible with regard to the
best interests of the homes and the
people.
| would like a mayor who would
select a chief of police who would
say to Front street loafers, Move
on who would say to saloon buns,
sober up, or get OUT who would
close UP every gambling den and
opium den; who would. fguratively
a leas,, put a red flag of warning
upon every house of prostitution;
who would compel the saloons to
obey the law or would close them
out: who would pay some attention
TO the protests of decent people; who
would show the same interest in the
boys and young men of this city that
Judge Ben Lindsey has shown in
Denver, or that Mayor Brand Whit
lock has shown in Toledo, Ohio;
who would not put a constant block
in the way of the efforts of all good
men in the interest OF young man
hood and womanhood There is a
call 10 action, this call is we'll worthy
of being heard. because it is joint
call from God and humanity.
Attend nominating conventions.
When YOU get there do not be stam-
peded. Go with your mind already
made up. Put up men whom YOU can
trust 1t is the man that counts
rather than the platform. | have not
question but that the saloon men
Of this city would be perfectly will
ling for a committee representing
the churches TO write the platform
in return for the privilege of nomi-
mating the men. 1t is well under
stood in practical politics that a
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