St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-03
community will be encouraged by the prom

community VIII be encouraged by the prom
Sc of vigorous exercise of his power as
mayor to weed out the abuses of the Ii
cense system by revoking the licenses of
unworthy persons. The mayor is right
when he says the character of the person
licensed should be the first consideration in
dealing with this matter. High license can
be no possible protection to community if
the party licensed is adisreputable person.
There is good sound common sense in the
suggestion that saloons should not be located
where police supervision is impracticable,
and where their presence would be objec-
tionable or annoying to family neighbor-
hoods, schools and churches. A wise dis
elimination in the manner of dealing with
the saloon business is more effective pro-
lection to public morals than any sort of
license system. The absolute power to con-
troll the liquor business lodged in the hands
of a judicious executive officer who has the
moral courage to follow his convictions is
ample guarantee against abuses. What
ever their opinions on temperance and total
abstinence may be, conservative people will
find no cause for quarrel with the mayor
when he expresses the belief that as long as
spirits, wine and beer are recognized as
property by the laws and the constitution
they should be protected as sacredly as other
property from the communism of prOhibi-
ton cranks. Precept and example are al
ways more successful missionaries than IA
naticiSm and communism.
The mayors practical discussion of the
social evil may strike some people as a
novel feature in an address of this charac-
ter, and yet, while it was a disagreeable
duty for him to perform, every person who
has the moral interest of the community at
heart will congratulate Mr.. RICE that he
has the courage to grapple with it at once
and to present to the public his individual
views. Every person who knows Mayor
RICE knows him to be reasonable man,
and always open to conviction. If any
body can suggest to him more prac-
tical way of dealing with the evil than that
suggested by himself, we feel assured that
he will entertain the suggestion. The
views presented by the mayor upon this
subject are not altogether new. The same
conclusions have been arrived at by num-
Der of conscientious persons who have de-
voted great deal of study to the subject of
political ethics and the best methods to at
tain system of laws which will best pro-
tect the public against prevalent social vices.
Recognizing the impracticability of stem
ming the tide of human passions through
human agencies, they think it the
part of wisdom to give such direction to the
70 no aoCt,, 10
harm to society. Acting upon this principle
and recognizing the impossibility of extin-
gushing the social evil, in a very practical
manner the mayor has presented to the pub
lie his opinion that, like other evils incident
to large cities, it should be the subject of
police and sanitary control. Whether his
views meet the appreciation of the council
bush in an attempt to avoid a discussion or
these questions.
1t is to be hoped that all citizens will re-
spond to the mayors invitation to cooper
ate with him by reporting offenseS against
the city ordinances and aiding him In secur-
ing the punishment of offenders and the
vindication of the law. And it may not be
IIpIOpOl Ill llio OOiHoGtIoH w OAplCoo 1IC
hope that Mayor RICE will signalize his adj
ministration by seeing to it that the officers
do not turn a deaf ear to complaints when
made by private citizens or through the
public press. In extending its congratula-
tions to the mayor upon his advent to the
responsible Office to which his fellow citi-
zens have called him. the GLOBE feels war
ranted in assuring him tn at in all his efforts
to promote the prosperity of our city and to
provide it with good municipal government
his hands will be upheld by our people if
respective of party or creed.