Los Angeles herald., 1908-08-11
.SALvATIONISTS
ARE INSISTENT
DEMAND PRIVILEGE OF RE-
STRICTED DISTRICT
COL. MILES SAYS CONTEST WILL
GO TO THE COURTS
Open Letter Signed by Many Religious
Societies Petitions for Right to
Speak Inside Buslness
Section

1--WE do not want to resist any
laws passed by this city council. We
would much rather help in the cause
of good government than throw any
obstacle whatsoever in its way, but we
do want the privilege of holding our
meetings inside the restricted district,
and if you do not grant them we will
have to obtain them through the courts,
as we have done hundreds Of times in
the past"
Such was the tenor of an impassioned
plea made by Col. Miles of the Saliva
ton Army, with headquarters in San
Francisco, to the city council here yes
terday.
There was no threat or menace in the
remarks of Col. Miles. He was earnest,
and clearly minated that If the coun-
ell could not see a new light the Sal
walton Army would wage another free
speech war and suffer martyrdom in
the city Jail equal to that recently
engaged in by the Socialists.
In an open letter addressed to the
council and signed by the Church fed
GRAFTON, the Merchants and Manufac-
turers association, the Bible institute,
Bishop Mcintyre, Motley H. Flint and
others, the Salvation Army, the Pencil
Mission, the Volunteers of America and
kindred organizations asked the coun-
Gil to select certain places inside the
restricted districts where street speak
ing could be held in the evening hours
and where traffic would not be seri-
ously interfered with.
Col. Miles and Attorney F. P. Pratt,
acting for the petitioning religious or
Plantations, told the council the con-
gregations of these missions had been
greatly depleted because they had not
been able to hold their meetings at
points where crowds would be at
tracted.
Efficiency Is Depleted
AS a consequence their efficiency was
greatly diminished. Col. Miles said his
desk at San Francisco was literally
covered with petitions from Army
workers in Los Angeles to be allowed
to hold their meetings in forbidden
spots and fight the ordinance through
the courts, but SO far he had refused
and would not permit 1t, If the council
would select certain spots in the re-
stricted district where these meetings
could be held.
He declared Los Angeles was the only
city in this or any other country where
the Salvation Army is not permitted to
go where 1t chooses and hold its meet
ings. He said his organization had had
to combat the same restrictions in
great many cities, carrying its cases to
the highest courts in the land, and it
had yet to lose its first case.
The matter was referred to the legis-
latiye committee, of which Councilman
Wallace is chairman. This fact BODIES
we'll for the plea of the Salvation Army,
as Mr.. Wallace is heartily in favor of
giving them what they ask. He plead
ed for time when the ordinance was
passed restricting this district, on the
ground that the Salvation Army and
similar organizations had certain rights
the council was bound to respect.
AS two members of the legislative
committee are also members of the
finance committee, which is preparing
the annual budget, it will be impossible
for this committee to report until two
weeks