The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1911-01-26
MUNICIPAL RULE
'''' and N M|SRULE NO. 8

As an Introductory to this the
third number in our SERIES we give
hr;ef resuma of the preceding adj
a,esses. In Our first we annonnc-
i that our municipality is now
0ractically licensing eight or more
houses Of known prostitution the
,svenue to the city, therefrom, a
mounting to five or six thousand
ao,,ars That all so called war
rorts. trials, fines and certificates
Of conviction, are but so many G.
,ssions of the law, rather than an
enforcement thereof. That Our
municipal officers. with uplifted
hand, solemnly bind themselves by
oath that when acting as officers,
thew will act in harmony with the
fundamental principles of law as
annotated in the L. S. Constitu-
finn and the Constitution of Wash
;rOton. Yet these fundamental
principles, so enunciated, clearly
forbid such recognition of prostitu-
tiou. An oath, with all appeal to
God to hear and help, may. or may
not be of any value, and that at
the will of the officer.
This sad disregard for law, little
less, if possible, than Anarchlsm,
was further shown in the fact that
eight houses of prostitution. one
club and one order are permitted
tosell liquor by day and by night,
Sunday or Monday, and that with
out any state or city license. This
in direct violation of the laws of
Washington and the Code of Ellens-
burg.
In our second, by reason and CT.
tatiou. we showed that fundamen-
tai principles ante-date all statu-
tory law, and that all just statutes
originate in these ante-dating prin-
ciples which become the source of
alright government. That no leg
islative, judicial or executive body
has any just right to excede this
inherent moral law. In direct vio-
lation Of the rights conferred upon
our municipal officers, rulings con-
6icting with both statutes and in
hefeut principles have been put in
to practice.
Our purpose, this evening, will
be to take broad view along diff
ferent paths travelled by municipal
tiles, and to note the results, that
vemay wisely Judge concerning
results to follow administrative
methods in Ellensburg. Our sign
board has two index fingers, point
ing in opposite directions, and we
read there on
!. Constitutional-right stat utes-
originate in inherent, ante-dating
principles and rightly used, always
secure right results. This way is
50 self evident to thoughtful
minds that it needs no elucidation
tonight. 1t is along the other way
that We find conflicting opinions
ana compromises with the princi-
pies Of known right.
2. The second hand points to a
divided way, each, however, hav-
ing the same destiny or end. Con-
::u1utional statutes, wrongly used
~ order to secure wrong end S, in
variably bring evil results and ex-
'sna the same to the innocent as
wen as to the guilty. Along the
"ner branch of this divided way
We will find that unconstitutional
statutes, originating in assumed
su1nor'ty, though used for either
!ooa or evil ends, invariable result
harvest Of evil for all alike.
This use of constitutional statutes
~ evil, or the use of unconstitu-
uoIai statutes for either good or
s sm!, IS the road needing careful in
v1ueation before we risk our sa-
1eo interests there upon. In this