The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-07-19
What is Government for ?

1t has been a subject of consider
able discussion for several days past,
as to what is the duty of a city gov
eminent. A hole is left open in the
sidewalk of a principal street, and a
citizen tumbles into it after dark,
and receives severe injury. Who
is responsible ? One party main
tains that the owner Of the property
is responsible, and that the injured
man must look to him for redress.
Another tells us that the contractor
having the work in charge is the
party accountable. So, too, in the
matter Of cattle running at large.
When the police are notified that
the ordinance forbidding the rum
ming at large of cattle, horses, etc.,
is being violated, instead of taking
it upon themselves to enforce obed:
fence to the law, they inform the
complaining citizen that he may
have the cattle driven to the pound
and in>pounded, or go before mag
istrate and make complaint, that it
is not their duty to take up such
cattle, nor to compel their owners
to take care of them
We may be wrong, but if so it a
fault of our early training, and we
cannot help it, but it is our convic-
ton that the purpose of city gov
eminent is to protect and promote
the welfare Of the inhabitants of the
city, and if it is not competent to do
this the sooner it is abandoned and
the expense of its support avoided
the better for all concerned. But
if such is the purpose of the city
government, it cannot be true that
it is not. competent to perform any
function necessary to carry out the
object of its institution. Its prov
ince to protect the. persons and
property Of its citizens, renders it
essential that it shall have power to
prevent the leaving of dangerous
places in and along the streets and
alleys, and, also, to prohibit the
running at large of cattle, horses,
hogs, etc, and if existing laws do
not confer these powers on the
officers Of the city, it is high time
that new legislation shall be had be-
slowing the authority necessary.
Instead Of leaving dangerous
place until somebody tumbles into
it and is nearly killed, in our hum
bic judgment it is the duty of the
police to see that it is effectively
guarded, and if the person
owning or controlling the prop
erty will not put around the excava-
ton 4 sufficient fence to prevent
people falling into it, then let the
police have it done and compel the
party guilty Of the neglect to pay
the bill. The evincing of deter
mination to punish such delinquents
by imposing fines, would soon op-
crate to prevent future accidents.
In the case Of cattle, horses, etc.,
running at large, we cannot help be-
lieving that it is the duty of the po-
lice authorities to take up and i'm
pound such animals, and to arrest
the owners and have them fined. If
this is done determinately in few
instances, the laws will be respect
ed, and the lives and limbs of child
rem will be secure against running
horses, and gardens will be safe
from the intrusions of breachy cat
tie ; and neighborhood quarrels will
be frequently avoided.
According to the present under
standing, it will be necessary for
every citizen to make voluntary
policeman of himself, and take pains
to see to it personally that every
dangerous place is guarded and ev-
cry running animal impounded at