St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-03


police appointing e. T. Birge superinten-
dent of the police telegraph, was brought
up, and on motion of Aid. Sanborn was re-
ferred to the new committee on police
when it should be appointed.
THE MAYORS MESSAGE.
of Course It's a Statesmanlike Doc
ument.
Following is the inaugural address deliv-
cred by Mayor Rice to the council yesterday
afternoon:
To the Honorable the President and the
Common Council of the City of st. Paul:
After an intervening term, in assuming
for second time the duties of the office OF
mayor, it is with great satisfaction that it
can 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. Its
manufactures have increased in the same
proportion. The streets, sewers and parks
have been improved and extended to cor
/ respond with its rapid increase of popula-
ton. Its 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
a great railway center it has few equals in
the country-there being over $4,000
miles operated by st. Paul lines.
With population of $4,000, 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 taxation, financial credit so high that
few, if any, cities upon this or any other
continent can equal it; its standard of
health on par with the most favored local
tiles in the world and comprehensive
water system substantially completed; the
assessable value of its real estate nearly
three-fold greater than it was four years
ago;goOd order and quiet prevailing, no seri-
Gus OffenSes against society, and industry
enterprise, intelligence and refinement
moving forward hand in hand. With these
manifold advantages who shall say that its
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
legislating 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.
SALOON LICENSES.
There are one or 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.
need not say that it is within the prov
ince of the law-making power,
the common council, to decide that question.
And although the mayor Is required to ap-
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 question of expedi-
ency exists, it is not usual OF 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 a question is supposed to be quite
as good as his own.
If 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 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-
plish 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 l think
| may properly say that In this
respect great care should be taken by
an application for license in ascertaining
the character of the applicant therefor,
which should be above reproach, and his In
telligence 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, in 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.
FURTHER ARGUMENT.
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 10 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. 1t 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
| taXations. It 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 greater degree of
| intemperance than could otherwise exist
Prohibitory and sumptuary laws are dis
| tasteful to free people and an infringe
ment upon the inaleinable rights of citizens
| Wherever they have gained footing they
have made communities worse instead of
| better. .
Total abstinence by some and temper
ance by others can be inculcated in
families and societies by teachers both cler-
ical and secular, by example and persua-
sion in many ways. tits by such influences,
and not by penal laws, that people can be
guided and led to form habits of sObriety.
THE SOCIAL EVIL.
The social evil also is ever present in
every civilization embraced in cities. 1t mas
always existed in them from the earliest
tinnoc of which have either Sacrad or