The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-23
TIE POLICE COMMIssIoNERSnIp.
Frenzel's Successor Not Yet Chosen--Mr.
Malott's Efforts to Have Law Enforced.

! The State officers had an informal meeting
the appointment of successor to Mr.. Frenzel,
but were unable to agree and adjourned without
having taken any steps. Among the names
presented as eligible members are those of jack
son Landers, Pat Mullaney A. Keifer, John w.
Dodd, John Whitsett, w. /. Ripley, Hughes
East, Frank Bird Hon. William Haueisen and
John Ferriter. The appointment may not be
made for several days.
There seems to be widely prevalent opinion
since the sudden and apparently harmonious
agreement reached by Mr.. Murphy and the new
commissioner, Mr. Morrison, that Mr.. Malott
was in reality the individual who backed Mr.
Frenzel up in the higher-law policy of the old
board, 7" said prominent business man, in the
hearing of Journal reporter, yesterday. "As
a matter of fact, however know that Mr. Ma
lott was not only al us to see all laws enforced
strictly and religiously but that he more than
once openly protested against the policy of the ma
jority, and thathis protest was duly presented to
the board. l am perfectly familiar with the
doings of the board for more than year and
can tell you all about it."
The reporter expressed desire to hear, and
the gentleman continued: when the board was
organized there was an express agreement be-
tween the commissioners that the laws should
be enforced, and after waiting reasonable time
for them to become familiar with the duties of
the position Mr.. Malott proposed that the agree
ment be carried out without further delay
Further time was asked each time the subject
was preached until, finally, Mr.. Malott went to
Mr. Murphy and insisted upon steps being taken
Immediately. He prepared an order to the fol
lowing effect:
Captain j. A. Lang, superintendent Metropolitan
Police:
You are hereby instructed to enforce the Law
against all volators."
Upon the passage of this order he insisted and
stated positively that unless it was done imme-
diately he would resign the next day. This was
on December 26, 1888 Mr. Murphy and Mr..
Frenzel held a caucus to consider the situation,
and that very afternoon the board met and the
order was unanimously passed. Weeks rolled
by, however, and there was no attempt to en-
force it. Mr.. Malott ascertained that Superin-
tendent Lang had been given to understand that
the order was meaningless and had only been
passed to paclfy Malott." He then prepared a
formal protest and presented it to the board.
Mr. Murphy agreed to call meeting of
citizens to consider the conduct of the board
and meeting was held Besides the commits
sioners, there were present number of promi
nent citizens of both parties The case was
stated by the commissioners, and the gentlemen,
as might have been expected, with one excep-
ton, were unanimously in favor of Mr. Malott's
view Mr. Malott thereupon insisted that the
order be again passed and that this time it be
enforced 1t was passed a second time (about
the latter part of April but with no better result
than had followed its first passage, and Mr. Ma
lott seeing that further pptests were
useless, signified to several gentlemen, my,
self among the number, his intention of
resigning, but dissuaded by US from doing
so until after the close of the campaign. If
either of the other commissioners had had a
sincere desire to enforce the law, they could
have done so at any time by acting with him
But happen to know that they instructed Lang
to keep his hands off for political reasons after
having passed Mr.. Malott's order
Another thing" continued the speaker: II
have every reason to believe that the reason the
recently promulgated order to close the saloons
at II O'clock was passed, was because the Demo
cratic majority in the Legislature would thereby
feel itself called upon to do something to remedy
the saloon keepers. ills. and that the Bailey bill
was foreseen sequel before the action was ever
taken"
Evening News The State officers are ap
parently in search of a German who looks at
the Sunday AMI saloon question through q
FrenZel lens. In discussing this point this
morning, German Democrat) said that the
Democracy was grasping at straw when they
might have sawlog. There are nine German
churches in the city, and their members are as
numerous as to voting population and as power
full in 'fiuence' as the free thinking Germans.
But the Democracy seems only to court the
favor of the latter element If they repeal the
IL o'clock law, and good many other mem
bers of German churches are through with De-
mocracy except to hit it every election day. We
| like our beer and are not temperance fanatics,
but we are aw-abiding, and propose to see the
| Sundays retained in the calendar.