The Pulpit Versus the Saloon
Rev. Wallace Nutting denounces Seattle's 'reform' government for failing to regulate nightlife and corruption.
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The prelude to the sermon of Rev. Wallace Nutting at Plymouth Church on Sunday night became the subject of general discussion across the city. Nutting, delivering an informal talk on 'City Misgovernment,' did not mince words regarding the current administration, which had run on a reform platform but was quickly losing the public's trust. He pointed to the persistent attempts to expand saloon districts onto Third Street, right near local churches, and the city's failure to enforce 'small hour' closing times. Nutting argued that the city government seemed to be in league with liquor sellers, noting that ordinances to improve public safety were repeatedly 'lost' by council members. He further criticized the police department's lack of effectiveness, citing a case where a victim of theft was essentially told by police that buying back their own stolen goods from a second-hand store was the only way to recover them. 'It is time for a citizen's league,' Nutting declared, calling for solid men to step forward and hold the city to account.
“When the fear of injuring the business of men who pay a small part of the city taxes leads the city government to veto a measure calculated to secure the persons and property of those who pay most of the taxes, we incline to the opinion that our reform administration is not on the way to heaven or to re-election.”
The tension between Seattle's moralizing 'reform' factions and the commercial realities of its nightlife has been a constant rhythm in local politics since the city's founding. The specific grievance regarding saloon hours on Third Street mirrors the perpetual, century-long tug-of-war over how Seattle manages its downtown core and who exactly the city hall serves.
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