The Pulpit vs. The Ring
Dr. S. Alonzo Bright uses a sermon on the 'Demoniac' to launch a stinging public rebuke against corrupt city politicians.
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.
Dr. S. Alonzo Bright preached in Trinity M. E. church on 'The Demoniac Healed.' He drew a comparison between the devil’s possession of the man and the state of modern politics. He served notice on the 'shameless ringsters' who essay to dominate politics not a thousand miles from where he stood: 'Stand off and let the people have a chance to vote for decent men, or we’ll give you the privilege of sitting on the fence while the procession moves by.' He criticized how politicians and rumsellers hide behind the excuse that church interference is not their business, arguing that if Christians remain fearful of business interests or political spies, the devil will have his way in the city.
“I serve notice on the shameless ringsters who essay to dominate politics not a thousand miles from where I stand, stand off and let the people have a chance.”
Public corruption in Seattle has frequently been met with righteous pulpit rhetoric. Bright’s challenge to 'ringsters' reflects the ongoing civic struggle to decouple the city’s political machinery from the influence of powerful economic interest groups.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.