Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1871-01-11
Some Light.

ucrs anu lgneu QuerEcuS, in which
he editor is asked 10 ansWer certain
questions, and IL he cannot, 10 ask our
worthy Mayor Il he c0Hs There are
q number of questions on a variety OF
subjects, but all bearing directly on the
matter OF our city government in its
criminal department and police ragula-
tons. Because / take il that in the
wholesale charge made that our city is
"fsiSeTGbtU governed" no reference is in
tended TO ats financial department. or to
the various other matters which 90 to
make up a city government. 1 propose
Mr.. Editor, with your leave, 10 reply as
best may TO some, atleast, of the charges
IN said communication, and answer to tho
best Of my ability the questions Of
Quericus. From the manne Of putting
those questions, l take it they are in
tended for the Mayor OF n city. l
will therefore endeavOr to answer them
seriatim. And, first let me say bv
way OF premise, thst in the opinion or q
majority OF our Wellinf0rmed citizens Il
mean those who mean to be fair in the
expression OF their opinions, and who
are not chronic faultinders-as well as
the opinion freely expressed by strangers
and travellers who visit our city, As COM
pared with other places OF its size, and
the character Of its Inhabitants, it is a
we'll governed city. That its Mayor,
Marshal and Police are not perfect, 1
viii admit. In what city or village are
they perfect? Many things might per-
haps and should be remedied; but il is
easier to preach duties to others than to
practice them ourselves.
But to the questions Of QuericuH, why
so very little attention is paid to the
law for closing drinking shops on sun
day, I will ansWer that question by say
ing that, personally 1 know very little
about the matter, as il would be con-
sidered very undignifed for our tr0rtky
Mayor to 60 III he even had the authori-
ty) nOsing around among liquor shops,
and turn Detective, Reporter, and Police
man, and hunt up Witnesses, and then
try the case. II Nr. QueTicus, o any
good, law abiding citizen, who see these
repeated transgressiOns, will come to
the Mayor, file affidavit and name the
witnesses, the Mayor will do his duty I;
OF let them report the cases OF violation
to the Marshal with names NJ witnesses),
whose especial duty il is TO see these as
well as all other violations az ordinances
and law attended 10. l have requested
aud directed, rs it is my duty to do, the
Marshal repeatedly to sec thatall saloons
are closed on Sunday vet very few cases
are reported to me by him. Please, Mr..
QuericUs, ask our worthy Marshal about
tine matter he should be able 10 tel all
about it. think, however, this matter
OF keeping saloons open on Sunday is
somewhat exaggerated. Almost all Of
N lager beer saloons are kept by Ger
mans, who, with their families, live in
the same building. (As to the whisky
shops, 1 cannot say the same for them.)
And they, the Germans, are eminently
a social and clannish class OF people, and
visit more or less on the Sabbath. They
3 II not nrwh1n= 49,. b., @E-TnH1w- 80 #hn
puritanical manne of keeping the Sab
bath holy, as do some OF our American
citizens. AndnO doubt these beer saloons
and whisky shops are visited, too, more
or less by others than Germans. But
we think the ordinary quiet OF the Sab
bath is not disturbed to an alarming eL-
tent except in a few isolated localities +;
and whenever these violations have been
brought before me legally, the evils
have been corrected as best / could.
And As 10 why so much rOwdyism is
allowed on our streets day and night,
the answer to the first question of Queri-
Gus applies in like manner to this ex-
ceptas 70 b rOwdyism at nigdt, there
is this, in mitigation Of any charge that
may be made against the Marshal and
Police, that they are not required 10 be
on duty after twelve o'clock at night,
and perhaps this rowdylsm happens
after that time, by tho frequenters Of
these liquor shops nj saloons, who
remain Ia them until the Marshal and
police have retired from the streets; for,
be it known, there is no ordinance requir-
ing these places to be closed up at any
time except Saturday night att o'clock.
And then, rumOr has II, that some of
/ them open, or admit visitors after tho
officers AVE left, and after awhile they
Issue from these places aud make night
hideous by their bachanalian revelries.
The remedy is, let those who see and
hear il, OF them. report to me by afida-
Wit, and names Of witnesses; or report
to the city Marshal, whose duty it is to
procure process and have them arrested.
To the question whether some Of them
the police Ohicers-feel it necessary 10
take "suthiu," frequently 70 stimulate
their courage, / would say no not 70 my
knowledge; and that SO far as I know
I they are ever sober when on duty, as
that is about the only time / know any
thing Of them.
Also, Quericus asks, If, when they
Cths police officers are thus stimulated,
they ever quarrel about the possession
of arrested rOWdies. To this I reply.
not to my knowledge; and I have it
from all three Of the police officers, that
they are on the best of terms aud work
together harmoniOusly. But rumor has
it. and I presume that is Whist Mr.. Queri-
COS had in his mind, but did not Ike TO
be personal, that, very recently, a citizen
and landlord OF our city sent FOR n of
our policemen requesting him to &c 70
his house and arrest a person who was
! disturbing the peace at his house. He
went, and amer he had arrested the
u odender, and while in his custody, the
dfy Marshal did interfere, and take away
the prisoner, so he was not brought be-
fore me fOr-a hearing and an aiterca-
ton took place between the Marshal and
policeman in consequence, and the Mar
shal was arrested on affidavit and war
rant. and plead guilty before Justice
! Spear to a charge Of assault and battery
on said police officer. As to whether
either, or both OF them, were drunk, I
am unable to say. We think an invest-
CATION by Council, IS provided by ordi-
nance. would o5termine that matter.
VIII the Council DO it, Surely the
2 Mayor is not responsible fOrit.
And as to the question asked by Quer-
icus, "What remedy have the people p
I &c. To this 1 reply By quoting the Ian
guage Of the Ordinance, in such cases,
made and nrovided; Sec. "3' il, in part,
in these words: That, whenever con-
plant in writing, verified by oath or
affirmation, shall be presented to the
City Council, charging any city officer
elected by the people, or appointed BY
the Mayor or City Ceuncil in pursuance
i of law, with gross neglect OF duty, or
gross official misconduct or whenever
any committee OF tho Council in dis
charge Of its official duty shall report in
writing that any city official Of the city
I Of Warren, Sc, &c. I need not quote
further. Suffice i to say that the city
I officers, Mayor and Marshal, are elected
by the people for two years, and that the
4 three policemen are appointed by the
\ Mayor and confirmed by the Council,
for one wear, and cannot be removed
tezcept as provided IN said ord nance.
The Mayor, according to the ordinance,
cannot even suspend any \ of them.-
True, according 10 that ordinance, The
policemen are to be under the direction
OF the Mayor IN the performances ofthcir
official duties and the Mayors duty as
to them, as regards their official miscOu-
I duct, is only on an equality with any
other citizen.
But suffice it 70 say that whenever the
Mayor shall see in any nj o fthem any
gross official misconduct or whenever
any citizen shall report fOthe Mayor any
such conduct Of any y OF them, sub
stantiated by reasonable testimony, he
will consider il his duty 10 report them
20 the proper tribunal for correction.
Will AR. Quericus, or any other good
citizen, be kind enough to do this? The
good citizens OF our city owe a duty OF
this kind 70 the city government, and
should be ready 70 lend a helping hand,
81