St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-06
OFFICIAL.
Proceedings Of the Common Council
Organization.

elect to take the oath OF Office, Whereupon
the following Aldermen appeared at the
Clerks desk and took the proper oath, viz:
Aid Simpson. Petsch. Kerr, Sanborn,
Kahn. Starkey. Bryant. Minea and Long.
Upon the roll being called the following
answered thereto, viz:
Aid Cummings. Simpson, O'Connor,
Petsch. Cullen. Kerr, Smith, Sanborn, Van
Slyke. Kahn, Starkey, Bryant, Minea, Long,
Nj. Chairman-15.
Aid. Kahn moved that committee OF
three. to be appointed by the chair, be APP
pointed to wait ON his honor, Mayor-elect
Rice. and inform him that the Councilw were
ready to hear any communication he de-
sired 10 make.
The motion prevailed and the chair APP
pointed as such Committee Aid. kaln Kerr
and Starkey.
Committee retired and in few minutes
returned escorting NayOr-elect Rice accom-
panied by Mayor O 3rien.
The Chairman introduced Mayor-eiect
Rice to the Council, whereupon he delivered
the following
MESSAGE:
To the Honorable the President and the
Common Council OF the City of st. Paul:
After an intervening term, i'll assuming
for second time the duties OF the office OF
MayOr. it is with great satisfaction that 1t
Fan be said that during the last four years
our city has taken no step backward. On
the contrary. its progress in all material In
terestS has been steady. conservative and
sure. Its commercial supremacy Is unques-
Toned. and its trade has been doubled. lis
manufactures have increased IN the same
proportion The streets. sewers and parks
have been improved and extended to cor
respond with It's rapid increase OF popula-
ton. It's schools. charities and churches
have in no sense been relegated TO the rear
in its onward grand march. New lines OF
railroads have penetrated within its limits,
and others are fast approaching them. As
q great railway center it has few equals III
the country-there being over $4,000
miles operated by st. Paul lines.
With a population of 125, 900. and an eX-
penditure being made OF over IS, 600, 600 on
buildings in the course of erection during
the present season to accommodate the In
creasing demands of pOpulation-with re-
duced taXatie1 a financial credit SO high that
few. if any. cities upon this or any other
continent can equal ii: its standard OF
health on Il par with the most favored local
tiles in the world, and a comprehensive
water system substantially completed; the
aSSeSSable value of its real estate nearly
three-foId greater than ii was four years
ago: good order and quiet prevailing. no Serl-
Gus offenseS against society, and Industry,
enterprise. intelligence and refinement
moving forward hand in hand. With these
manifold advantages who shall say that It's
citizens. one and all. may not
give expression to an honorable pride
touching its present condition and its on
ward and brilliant future. So fast is it ad
vancing in the acquisition of the elements
of greatness that it requires vigilance on
the part Of those who are intruSted with
legisIating for its interests and with the eX-
ecution and enforcement of its laws lest
they may fail in the faithful discharge OF
the duties OF the hour.
There are one OF two subjects which have
elected more or less agitation and discus
sion by our worthy citizens to which L
wish to allude One is the sum which
should be paid for saloon licenses.
Ineed not say that it is within the prov
ince of the Iaw-makfhg power, the Com
mon Council. to decide that question.
And. although the Mayor IS required to APP
prove or diSapprove all ordinances passed by
your honorable body, yet where no viola
ton of the fundamental law is involved, or
some prerequisite has not been complied
with. or hasty and inconSiderate action has
been had but merely a question Of eXpedi-
ency exists, it is not usual or proper for
the executive to oppose by veto his Judg-
ment to the deliberate acts of the legisla-
tive body. each member thereof being the
immediate representative Of the people,
and the Judgment of any one of them upon
such question is supposed to be quite
as good as his own.
II the object in granting licenses is to OBJ
tain revenue the point arises whether a
high license with limited number of Ii
censes will produce as much as a lower one
which tends to increase the number. If the
object be. on the other hand, to affect
the moral conduct and lessen the number of
patrons of saloons the question then arises
whether extreme high licenses will accom-
pIish the object. In my opinion it will not.
| think the remedy for the evil complained
of lies rather in the character of the person
licensed and the location of the saloon
sought to be opened, and here think |
may properly say that in this
respect great care should be taken by
the Committee on Licenses before approving
al application for a license in ascertaining
the character of the applicant therefor
which should be above Teproach, and his IN
telIigence and fitness determined beyond
question: nor should saloons be located
where they cannot be easily supervised by
the police. nor where their presence would
be annoying to family neighborhoods,
schools. places Of religious worship,
railroad shops and manufactures. Bonds
from licensees, i'll all Instances, might
be required as an additional safeguard to
insure good order. But in all cases the
power remains with the Mayor to revoke
licenses whenever the privilege has been
abused. and that power, so far as the present
executive is concerned, will be most rigor-
Ously exercised.
The abuse of the privilege consists in
the permission of turbulence and disorder.
selling liquors to minors and drunkards,
harboring diSreputable persons and keep
ing open after y o'clock at night.
The constitution and laws of the United
States and of this state recognize. spirits.
wine and beer as property as sacred in
that regard as any other, and dealing in it
as merchandise at wholesale or retail as
reputable as any other occupation. It is
taxed as other property; it pays also spe-
cial tax to the general government as inter
nal revenue; the retailer then pays another
special tax in the form Of an internal reve-
nue. license, and then another to the city for
a similar retail license-in all four distinct
taxati0nS. 1t is within the legislative
power of the city to enlarge the tax
by increasing the sum to be paid for a Ii
cense, but sum so large might be reached
that would be equivalent to prohibition
which would lead to disorders, unseemly
social controversies and a greater degree of
intemperance than could otherwise exist.
Prohibitory and sumptuary laws are dis
tasteful to free people and an infringe
ment upon the inalienable rights of citizens.
Wherever they have gained a footing they
have made communities worse instead of
h,Ar