The City's Legal Battle Over the 'People's Theater'
A municipal court fight pits city lawyers against a theater owner over whether a $1,000 licensing fee and anti-women employment regulations are constitutional.
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.
The case of Thomas Fleming, nominal proprietor of the People's Theater, charged with running without a theatrical license, occupied the time of Judge Glasgow in the municipal court. Attorney John Wiley, representing the defense, argued that the city ordinance was an unjust discrimination against women, as keeping a saloon is a lawful occupation. He further claimed the $1,000 license fee was unreasonable. City Attorney Winstock countered that the ordinance was a necessary exercise of police power to curb criminal activity often associated with such places, noting that closing them could reduce the police force by ten men. Judge Glasgow took the matter under advisement, expressing doubt regarding the discrimination against women, but promised a decision soon.
“He claimed that under the city ordinance... there was an unjust discrimination against woman, as under the law a woman should be allowed to engage in any lawful occupation.”
This 1894 case highlights the historical intersection of morality policing and revenue-seeking in Seattle. The city's attempt to use high licensing fees to shutter specific venues under the guise of 'policing' mirrors the ongoing tension between municipal governance, zoning, and the regulation of nightlife districts in modern Seattle.
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