Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1907-08-02
The Prevailing Topic

Many different opinions are eX-
pressed concerning the Sunday clos
inr movement in this city. and many
are the con lectures regarding ITS con
,nuan,.. \ few claim il has come 10
stay Whil,. some of our good citizens
contend il is merely Il virtuuuS >paSm.
midway between times of election,
In. weather hcing warm. saloon
keepers and their patrons might Just
as we'll have a little recreation on
Sundays. hut that when the ram be
gins Ia fall in Autumn. and especially
in the nn-c"nng political campaign.
the lid will be. off. and hilarity will
again become rampant. One tenn
peranc,. man. and a Socialist too, had
the tcmcrity to remark that this
Sunday closing movement. in the
Sound country. cannot in the nature
Of things long continue. under the
present social system; that the sa-
loon is the poor man 5 clubhouse.
Just think OF poor laborcrS coming
into town from Il logging camp. wet
through to the skin. on Sunday!
Where will they find shelter except
in Il saloon? They cannot get out Of
t., rain to be sheltered in the parlorS
OF any W. c. T. Il. organization. or
within the walls of any church build
ing. If the good people of Olympia
would furnish these itinerants a place
where they might be comfortable,
there would be more merit in these
efforts of wOuld-bc reformers. The
STANDARD will not at this time pre-
diet the outcome. but will simply say
we will see what we shall see.
And to smooth the way to paci6-
cation that may result in the most
good to all concerned, few sugges-
tons are given, and are intended in
the best of spirit for all interested.
While administration of statutory
law requires the will of the people to
back it, it may be well to consider
the best means of obtaining that
support. AS long as the liquor traf-
fic is licensed, the prOhibitory re-
former is handicapped in his opposi-
ton to it. 1t is only when laws
made to regulate and control" are
openly and deliberately violated, that
reformers are endowed with q weapon
that may be efficiently, at times.
welded against them. 1t will always
be liable to happen as long as the de-
cision of the United States Supreme
Court stands authorizing the passage
of laws to deal with the traffic as Q
nuisance. Now, it seems to us
that if an open town is needed, due
consideration should be given as te
the width of the door it is proposed
to open, Why? simply to secure
that popular will that constitutes the
essence of law. Divorce the dance
hall, bands of music and street dis
play from the liquor traffic and we
think that many of our prominent
citizens will see way to endure
much that may not be Obtruded upon
the public gaze. In the close scram-
BILE for the few dollars floating about
during the closure of the logging
camps, there is of course a desire to
secure a proper share of them, and
when the inclement season comes on,
there is some force to the opinion Of
our socialist friend that the saloon
may be, of necessity, the only place
of practical hospitality open to home
less wayfarers.
This admonition, as before stated
is probably the only means of secur
ing a permanent peace. If the Sun
day or gambling laws are too strin
gent, proceed in legal way for theil
repeal, or at least refrain from flout
ing violations of the strict letter be.
fore the public eye.