The Pulpit Versus the Political Machine
A local minister denounces municipal graft and the influence of saloon-owners in the upcoming mayoral race.
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.
Rev. A. H. Barnhisel of the First Presbyterian Church preached a sermon last evening concerning the municipal campaign currently being waged in Tacoma. He denounced those politicians who favor an 'open town,' arguing that officials in times of peace should serve their fellow men rather than bleed their country for personal gain. The speaker highlighted the influence of Peter Sandberg, a saloon-owner who is reportedly aligned with Councilman Hammond. According to the Rev. Barnhisel, the opposition to saloons in certain residence districts was merely a strategic move to concentrate saloon business in central areas where Sandberg maintains control. He urged citizens to create a public righteous sentiment, asserting that the future of the city should not be dictated by saloon-keepers and gamblers.
“There are men who, in time of war, will go out and bleed for their country, but in time of peace they bleed their country.”
This sermon captures the Gilded Age tension between progressive reformers and the 'open town' boosters who profited from vice industries. Over a century later, Tacoma's debates over zoning, density, and who gets to dictate the city's character still echo these moral and economic arguments.
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