The Justice vs. The Saloons
When the County Prosecutor refused to enforce Sunday closing laws, a Seattle Justice of the Peace stepped in to seize the gavel and threaten mass arrests.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Justice Cann states that he is going to close up Sunday saloons as soon as complaints are filed and warrants for the parties are secured by the people who are not reconciled to Sunday lawlessness. This morning the Justice looked up the law to ascertain his authority in the matter, and found that he can act if the County Attorney will not act. He said he will do the whole thing himself. The opponents of Sunday traffic have visited Prosecutor Hart several times recently and have sought to secure arrests for violations of the law in this city, but have thus far made no progress. They turned to Justice Cann, who this morning fortified his order with the following statement for publication: 'The opponents of Sunday saloons appeared in my court yesterday and held a consultation with Prosecutor John B. Hart in regard to the Sunday closing of saloons and places of amusement. They secured no satisfaction, and my duty is now to take the matter up personally. I have considered the law as laid down in Sections 731 and 732, in regard to the Sunday law, and am prepared to issue warrants immediately for the arrest of all violators.'
“My duty is now to take the matter up personally. I... am prepared to issue warrants immediately for the arrest of all violators.”
The tension between local elected prosecutors, who often exercise discretion in enforcement, and the public's demand for strict adherence to statutes remains a hallmark of Seattle civic discourse. While 'Sunday closing' laws are long gone, the debate over how local courts and authorities balance competing moral or commercial interests is a perennial feature of the city's political life.
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