St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-04-22

of legal responsibility, nor does the law or
the oath which you have taken relieve YOU
from complete and faithful INQUIRY into
all OffenseS, either known or supposed TO
exist, within your Jurisdiction. 1t is an error
to suppose that local vice in large city
is only Of local Importance, and is there
fore to be dealt with by local authorities
alone. The vices, the crimes, the immor-
aiitieS of the large cities of this country
extend their pernicious influence to every
part of the country and to every commu-
nifty and hamlet therein. 1t is impossible
to permit these populOus centerS to become
and remain impure and limit the evil effect
of such condition. 1t has come to be I'M
derstood, therefore, that the power of the
law and the diligence and faithfulneSS of
courts and juries in executing the laws
need TO be especially directed to the
SUPPRESSION OF CRIME
in large cities and towns, and if it some
times occurs that local police authorities to
whom Is lntruSted the administration of
municipal affairs, either from the manner
OF their selection or from familiarity and
sometimes clear sympathy with vice, fail
to execute faithfully the laws for the sup
preston of crime. This fact of itself
when 1t shall exist increases the response
bllIty OF bodies possessing and exercising
judicial powers which are further removed
from these local influences. There can be
no doubt but upon diligent inquiry you
would be able to find in this city open and
defiant violations of law
KNOWN TO THE POLICE AUTHORITIES,
concerning which you have jurisdiction.
The municipal authorities have right to
expect your aid and assistance in Kidding
the city and society of these criminal vices.
There should be an earnest cooperation on
the part Of the officials and all law abiding
citizens in effecting this end 1t needs no
prophetic wisdom to enable one to predict
with certainty what must be the inevitable
result Of compromising with crime. Unless
there shall be
MORE FAITHFUL AND EFFICIENT
execution Of our criminal laws, and thus
limiting of the growth of crime in this city,
vice and misrule will ere long have gained
the mastery. l have thus particularly called
the attention of this grand jury to its re-
sponsible duties, hoping that from the wis
dom and discretion OF the citizens
who compose the jury your action may
not be without good results. The statute
prohibits the keeping of houses of ill-fame,
keeping gambling houses, selling liquor in
violation of law, selling perniciOus litera-
ture pictures, devices and paintings. The
Importance of these statutes in preserving
and building up social morals, especially
among the young, is great. The statute
gives to the grand jury Jurisdiction of these
0tfenses, and expects you to make as faith
full inquiry in respect to the same, as in
cases Of murder. burglary, larceny and
other felonies. The existence of these so
cial vices, and the violation of these laws,
which seek to protect social morals, are the
very things which lead up to the commits
sion of the greater offenseS named, and
strict enforcement of the law in respect to
these former otfenses IS the surest way to
prevent the latter.