The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-03-02

The Sunday closing campaign
was launched in earnest this morn
ing when complaint was made
against II proprietors of business
houses that kept open on Sunday,
Feb. %, including ]. F. Young,
business manager Of the Spokes-
man-Review; Harry Hayward, of
the Auditorium theater; Chas.
Muehlmann, of the Spokane
theater; Clark Walker, of the Pan
tages; George M Dreher, of the Co
lumbia; George M. Blakeslee, OF
the Washington
There is evidence against Is
more places, including cigar stores,
etc.
The complaining witnesses are
Alex Davis and Leon s. Rumble,
both Main av. stOrekeepers who
were arrested and fined the costs
on complaint of a member Of the
retail clerks union. They are rep
resented by Attorney Alex M. Win
ston, who says he will devote ev-
cry effort to securing convictions.
Although no warrants are issued
yet, 1t is confidently expected that
Justice Hinkle. before whom COM
plant was made, will sign warrants
after the session Of police court
this afternoon.
Prosecuting Attorney Barnhart
visited Justice Hinkle's Office at an
early hour this morning but did not
meet the Judge who had not yet
reached his Office.
The fact Of the prosecutors visit
to the justice would seem plain
that 1t was to notify him that I'M
less the warrants were issued un-
der provision OF city ordinance,
then prosecutions would follow I'M
der the state law, which makes the
penalty severer.
There has been considerable talk
that back of the present crusade
are the saloon interests. Headed
by Cyrus Pence, the Law Enforce
ment league several weeks ago
Ma strenuous and successful
o. for against saloons that did
Sss on Sunday. The present
or, .tde is taken as retaliation by
saloon men who. proceeding under
the city ordinance which makes 1t
a misdemeanor for any line of bust
ness except livery stables, drug
stores, undertakers and hotels. are
out to close up the town tight, in
strict accord with the letter of the
ordinance.
Saloonmen and their attorneys,
Nuzum & Nuzum, refuse to recog-
nize the present crusade as mat
ter instigated by them. Those will
ing to concede that saloon men are
not back of the movement say that
Riverside av. business men who
envied the clothiers along Main av.
the small bits of coin they took in
on Sundays, while, under the regu-
lations of the clerks organization
they were prohibited from doing
business on Sunday, are back of it.
In consequence. these say, a men,
Der of the clerks union, represent
ing the larger dealers, secured evil
dence against the smaller concerns
and caused their prosecution and
conviction. Leon Rumble and Alex
Davis say that their crusade has
no other backing than that which
comes from Main av. clothiers who
were closed up.
They closed us UP, now let them
get their full of it." is what they
say While they were closed, the
drugstores prospered by selling the
same lines of goods.
Conservative saloon men express
apprehension and say that in the
end 1t will prove a boomerang for
them. They argue that the in
evitable result will be the repeal
Of the obnoxious Sunday closing
ordinance and the passage of Sun
day closing ordinance effecting only
saloons. Another thing, they say, is
that the general public. admittedly
opposed to closing any business ex-
cept saloons, credits the present
crusade to- them with the result
that If ever there was chance to
again open saloons on Sunday 1t
has faded away since this cam
paign was begun.
Following is the list of those
against whom complaint has been
made:
j. F. Young, Harry Hayward,
Cha9, Muehlman, w. M. Mast, s. S.
Pickler, f. J. MacGougan. John
naA Aornn CIn,ir uyaILnr ran