St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-03-28
RECKLEs. DliIVlNG.

Inc GLOBE is constantly Durthened with
complaints from citizens of the city regard
ing the continuous violation of the city
ordinance against fast driving through the
streets. From time to time we have called
the attention of the municipal authorities
to this matter, and not long ago at the ur-
gent request of a correspondent published
the ordinance which prohibits reckless
driving on any of the streets of the city
and prohibits anyone from driving across
a street at faster gait than walk. Not
wlthstanding this matter has been repeatedly
brought TO the attention of the authorities
there has been no abatement in the nui-
Sance, nor is there any attempt made to
abate it, There is not day In the week
nor an hour in the day, nor scarcely a min
ute In the hour, that teams are not reek-
lessly dashlng up and down the principal
streets of the city, and no more attention
paid, to hating up at the street crossings
than il there We're no crossings and no
ordinance prohibiting fast driving. Every
now and then it Occnrs that
a vehicle Is run into and some
body hurt, just as in the case of the two
children who were run into and dashed viO-
lently from their carriage to the ground
Friday on Third street. or somebody is
run down at street crossing. as is an al
most everyday occurrence, and yet no at.
tention is paid TO it by the police authori-
ties. or if inquired into, the guilty parties
explain that the horse became unmanage-
able. and the matter is dropped. So nOto-
rious has this city become for reckless
driving on the streets that the pedestrian
who starts out TO perambulate the
town experiences the feeling that
the soldier does when going into battle,
that he is taking his life in his hand and if
he ever gets back his return will be due
solely to the mercy of Providence and not
to the efforts of the authorities to protect
him. The GLOBE now calls the attention
Of the mayor. the chief of police. the officers
and members of the police force that there
is municipal law against reckless driving
and that it is their sworn duty TO enforce
that law. 1t will not do 10 say that
the officers are ignorant of its vio-
lation. A person can stand on the cor
ner Of any one of the principal streets in
the business part of the city and witness
from so TO 500 violations of the law
any day Of the week, with the posi-
bic exception of Sunday. Where you see
one team driven across the street crossing
in walk you will see fifty pass at a swifter
gait. If the law had been enforced and
the fines collected in the case of every vio-
lation Of this ordinance within the past
two years. there would now be money
enough in the treasury to pay off the en-
tire debt Of the city. 1t looks like mockery
TO be organizing law and order leagues
to enforce the ordinance against whisky
selling when there are more people killed
ana manned from reckless driving OH our
streets than die from intemperance in st.
Paul. There should be no discrimination
or Partially shown in the enforcement of
this ordinance. Let every person who
drives reeklessly along the streets, who
crosses a street at faster gait than a walk.
or who leaves horse unhitched in the
street-no matter whether it be the million
aire in his coach or the garbage hauler with
his wagOn-wthoutr regard TO distinctions of
persons, let the police arrest the offender
and the municipal court impose the penalty.
Nor SHOULD the fact that team runs away
be made an excuse. If so is to be paid
every time a horse runs away there will be
fewer unmanageable horses driven on the
streets. The people are tired of complain
ing about this matter and are going TO see
to IL that the law is enforced. if they have
to do as they did in Chicago. organize
league for the purpose of enforcing it.