The Fight for a 'Sober' Waterfront
Seattle City Council members battle over whether to permit saloons near city parks, clashing over the character of public space.
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.
One more attempt to pass an ordinance extending the saloon limits to Madison street park has failed. Delegate Shields had yet to know of any public park in any other city where liquors are sold. It is undemocratic to grant permission for the sale of liquors along the lake front. If it is allowed there it will be called for at Leschi park and other resorts. He considered that the cable company would regret the day it petitioned for this license. He begged the council to keep one place in the city where the people could have a breathing spell free from contaminating influences. Ladies and children ought to be considered. The bill was killed by a vote of 6 to 3.
“He begged the council to keep one place in the city where the people could have a breathing spell free from contaminating influences.”
Public space management remains a point of contention in Seattle, where the struggle between commercial concessions (like bars or cafes) and the desire for 'quiet' or 'family-friendly' public parks continues to surface in local civic debates.
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