Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1907-08-05
THE LUMBER TRADE NO LID Was VISIBLE
ABERDEEN RESENTS HOOUIAM
INTERFERENCE.
of HOquiam Pastor to Die.
tate to Aberdeen Officials Causes
Feelings Of Resentment. Saba.
tartan Committees From HOquiam
in Town Yesterday. Suits Ahead.

in Town Yesterday. Suits Ahead.
An open letter written by Rev. E. L.
Benedict, OF Hoquiam, to Mayor France,
together with published warning to put
on the Sunday lid, by the same gentle.
man, was the means of causing a meet
ing OF about IS business men of Aberdeen
Saturday afternoon, and the organic alton
OF the Aberdeen Businessmen's Protec.
tive Association.
While the organization was primarily
tor the purpose of testing the Sunday
law as 1t now stands on the statute
books, the interference of the Hoquiam
preacher in the local affairs OF Aberdeen
had much to do with the large attend.
ance and enthusiasm manifested. A fund
was raised to test the legality of the
statute, and it was decided to raise fund
'or the purpose of carrying the matter
into the higher courts, and to disregard
the warning about closing up the next
day.
In accordance with this agreement all
the business houses that have been doing
business on Sunday were open yesterday
with the exception OF about half.dozen,
including three saloons, whose proprie-
tors were out Of town.
Quite number Of the "Lid" advocates,
including the W. G. 7. u, made tours OF
the places that were open, and it is very
likely that a number of warrants OF ar
rest will be sworn out today. This was
expected, and a test case will be made to
thoroughly test the constitutionality of
the law.
The following is the open letter referred
to, published in the Hoquiam Washing.
tonian:
EDITOR WAsHINGToNIAN: - By your
courtesy | have read the article in The
ashingtonian published this morning)
from the Aberdeen correspondent, and l
am glad that at last the mayor of the
| city OF Aberdeen has committed him.
self. | thought that il | would keep
after him long enough, we would find
out just where he stood. | am frank
to say that the big hindrance in the way
of law enforcement in Chehalis county
is iust srch officers az he is, who. when
he took his oath OF office, swore that he
would support the laws OF the country,
and now he allows his opinions to get
into print, to the effect that he is against
law enforcement. Mr.. France, why
don't you either fulfil your obligation to
the laws you swore to maintain, or give
up your position?
You not only refuse to carry out the
law yourself, but when some moral lead
er OF society tries to close up this county
and do the work you were elected to do,
you boast that it is piece of "silly
foolishness. What kind of an official
are you, any way?
Again, you say that if you have to put
on the lid (and everybody who knows
you, knows that vou won't do it unless
you do have to-, you will put it on 90
tight that it will become very unpopular.
Everybody knows, or will know just
where stand, and thank fortune we are
fast finding out just where you stand.
Mr.. France, listen to what the Bible
says about just such men as you: "Woe
to the people VINO build their city with
blood" You want all of this iniquity
because there is revenue in it. Why not
license the gambler, the prostitute and
the anarchist for the same reason? One
minute you say that if you had your way
you would Danish the saloons, and then
you turn right around and say that we
must have them because they bring in
revenue, and bewail the fact that the
city OF Aberdeen has already lost 81 900.
You purpose to take the blood-money
from the saloons; the license or monthly
fine money from the scarlet women, and
the gambled money from the slot ma.
chine, and help Aberdeen get out of debt?
The day Will come when the disregard
for law by those in places OF authority
will help to raise up anarchists instead of
law-ablding citizens. only recently four
OF the young men OF my church were
found in your places of iniquity in Aber-
deem, and the Saturday night that three
gentlemen and myself went through the
slum district, and only one block off
from your best street, found two more
OF my congregation. | believe there
were 500 men in that district Where
were you? How many hours have you
spent in worrying over the moral cess
pool OF HE'LL in your city? How much
evil have you stopped? How many
young men are you helping out OF these
conditions and helping the conditions
away from the young men?
No-you seem to be more interested
that the city Of Aberdeen get out of debt
with the revenue derived from this ele-
ment, than to save our young men to the
home, to the republic, and to GOD.
Z. l.. BENEDICT.