St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-04-09

mayor duuItSo OpOho "AeA- 49,
announcement that it is the duty OF the
council to make the laws and of the mayor
to enforce them. He says the bonded in
debtedness is S2,27S, 900 and annual interest
S135, 05S. The assessed valuation OF the city
is $53, 100000, and the new
valuation will not be less
than $50, 900, 900. There is deficit in cur
rent expenses Of SOB, 442. SO to be provided
for. The expenses of the police force for
the past year were $40, 1864.
After considering other matters the mes
sage thus treats of
MORAL REFORM.
It should be the aim of US all to improve
the morals of the city. The public eye is
upon US, and much will be expected of US in
this regard. This is largely the work of the
mayor and police, after the city council shall
have first enacted proper and sufficient or
dinances. AS to the crimes of gambling, the
keeping of disorderly houses and low dives
of all sorts, if the present ordinances are not
sufficient to properly abate these evils, l shall
ask YOU from time to time to give all legisa-
ton in your power, and should your power
under the charter be insufficient to fully
pass Gilc QucSUlOu III ICopCCto3 IhO
next legislature should be called upon to
still further increase your corporate au-
thorty.
AS to the sale of intoxicating liquors, the
present policy in this state, as enacted in all
its laws, is to regulate and not prohibit their
sale. Whatever our individual opinions
may be ON this subject, SO long as this policy
prevails in the state, we should use these
IN AZ IN, Da az
to lessen as far as possible the evils con-
nected Herewith, and particularly those
which affect the young and growing genera
ton. The number of licensed saloons in
this city during the past two years as shown
by the comptroller's books, has increased
from 252 to 523, and if we permit the mat
ter to go ON without restriction, they are liza
BILE to increase still more in numbers
during the next two years.
This increase in the number of
saloons is largely due to the efforts of some
of the brewers and wholesale liquor
dealers to increase their business. 1t is to
the interest of every otherperson in this COM
munity that this increase should not only be
stopped, but that the present excessive
number be largely diminished. The public
call for higher liquor license, with wise and
wholesome restrictions as to whom, and where
and when and under what circumstances it
should be granted, is so unmistakable and
emphatic that it cannot be ignored by your
honorable body. The people have spoken
with no uncertain sound, and it is for your
honorable body to determine not only what
the amount of the license shall be, but in
what manner and under what restrictions
and regulations it shall be granted. 1t would
certainly be unwise for your honorable body to
allow a license to be issued to any man whose
only qualification was that he simply possess
ed sufficient money to pay the license. A
higher license alone will not reach all the
evils planned of. 1t is well known fact
that many of the worst places can best afford
to pay high license. The individual case
of each applicant for a license should be
carefully weighed and wise restraints should
be thrown around it, Something must be
done to stamp out many places in this city
which are not only curse to the neighbor-
shood and standing menace to the morals
of this city, but which, on account of their
wicked and illegitinate competition and
methods, tend to prevent other liquor deal
ers from keeping as orderly and quiet place
as they otherwise would.
If the present ordinances do not give
the authority to refuse licenses to persons
who from their antecedents and surround
ings are unfit to receive a license, or if they
do not allow sufficient latitude for the revo-
cation or forfeiture of licenses which are
issued to persons who conduct their places
in an improper manner or in improper
localities, then new ordinances should be
framed at once, and | now suggest that
you give this matter your most careful con-
sderation.
would also earnestly recommend that no
licenses be given in portions of the city
where the people are strongly opposed TO
having saloons near them, and also that
licenses be not given for saloons in districts
where they do not now exist, including our
beautiful lakes and other places of public re-
sort; and moreover, that they be refused in
certain sections where they have already
crept in, much to the disgust of the people
residing in the vicinity. | deem this recon-
mendation necessary, for many reasons. 1t
is impossible to properly police our whole
city without an expense far beyond what our
people are willing to be taxed for.
No saloon should ever be allowed at a
point where there is not regular and con-
tinuous police patrol. Our mechanics, labor
ing men and youth Should be spared the
temptation of having saloon under the very
shadow of their homes, and their wives and
children consequently subjected to its bale
full influences. If saloons can be kept out
of the residence portions of our city, private
homes will be improved, women and chill
dren will be made happier, industrious men
will accumulate completeness, and will try
and make it safe for respectable men and
women to go about their honest occupations
or recreations at any time of day or night.
Another cause of the rapid increase of
saloons has been that severe restrictive laws
passed in other localities driye persons here
who have been forced to abandon their occu-
pations elsewhere. They come here, and
before their character or qualifications are
known, and before they have had time to ac-
quire citizenship, open up saloon wherever
they wish. This should be stopped. And l
would further suggest whether it would not
be wise to refuse to entertain any application
for license which does not come before
your honorable body during the months of
April or May of each year.
| shall endeavor to make study of all
things which affect the moral and material
welfare of our city. Municipal governments
present many intricate questions, on which
good men may honestly differ Many things
cannot be decided upon theory alone, but
ulne anu experience are required 10 Work out
the best results. 1t is often difficult to de-
eide how to best curb and restrain certain
otfenses against morality. While 1 shall use
every effort to enforce the law in every re-
spect do not wish, by any half sighted or i'll
considered policy, to merely change the form
and location of evil, and spread
it like hidden contagion throughout the
community, thereby placing it beyond
the reach of law and control, and without
really lessening the evil. On the contrary I
desire to do that which will best check evil
and protect the home and freside of all our
citizens. On all such questions it is better
to go slow and retain the ground gained
than to go fast and be obliged to retreat I
shall endeavor in all such cases to be guided
largely by the experience of good men in
other localities who have earnestly labored to