St. Paul daily globe., 1888-01-08
Charges Preferred in Court
Against the Principal in a
Recent Assignment.
The Cold Wave Arrived After
a Postponement of Twen-
ty-Four Hours.
Summary of the Doings Of
One Day Gathered From
All Sources.
GOV. M'GILL'S ESTIMATE.
How NinnesOta's Governor Sizes
Up the High License Law.

How MinnesOta's Governor Sizes
Up the High License Law.
Some time ago the New York Mail
and Express, through A. p. Miller,
wrote letter to Gov. McGill inquiring
as to the high license law and its work
ingS in the state at large. The governor
yesterday mailed letter in answer,
lauding the law to the skies, and quot
ing quite largely from observations
made by Bishop Ireland in regard to its
workings. The letter in full is as fol-
lows:
st. Paul, Minn., Jan. 6, 1SSS-A. P.
Miller, of the Mail and Express, New
York. \. Y: Replying to your favor
of Dec. ~, L inclOSe herewith clipping
from the Pioneer Press" of this city,
of date Sept. "A, which gives summary
of facts existing at that time throughout
the state regarding the results obtained
under the ''high license" law passed by
the legislature of Minnesota at its last
session, and / also enclose for your
further information a copy of the law
itself. This law. you will, perhaps, re-
member, went into effect throughout
the State-eXcepting the city OF st. Paul
on July l, 1887.
Owing to the time at which licenses
were issued the law did not go into
effect in this city until the first of Janu-
AIRY, and in consequence of the delay in
preparing for the law here, Saloonkeep-
ers were granted until about the first of
February, proXimo, i'll which to comply
with its requirements, so that it will be
impossible at this time TO state any con-
else facts regarding its results
in st. Paul. With a very
fexry &c
in force throughout the state, and, gen.
orally stated. there has been a reduc-
tiOn in the number of saloons under the
new law of over LOGO.
While the effects of the law with re-
gard to the diminution of drunkenness
must naturally be of a
MORE OR LESS SPECULATIVE
determination. still there are many
facts which fairly warrant an inference
that there is much less than before the
law went into operation. AS evidence
of this quote you the opinion of Bishop
ireland, together with some of his per
SOnal observations in the southern half
of the state, known as the Parish of St.
Paul.
''In Winona," said the bishop, there
is a very large Polish population, per-
hapS 800 families, mainly composed of
mill hands. Formerly there was good
deal of intemperance among them.
There is now but one saloon among the
PolanderS instead of the eight or ten eX-
iSting before the law went into effect,
and the bank deposits of the Polish
people are unusually large. Clergymen
and employers have noted marked i'm
proyement.
Caledonia, Houston county, was for
merly composed of a large drinking pop
Lott hot oil rf,f
where formerly there were fifteen. A
brewer of liquors formerly sent his
wagonlead of kegs every morning-he
now sends once week"
HOkah, Houston County-A brewery
had been vacant for some time. 1t was
bought by a brewer some four months
before the high license law was passed
He has since been offering this brewery
for sale at one-half what he paid for it
In many of the smaller places drunk.
enness has disappeared altogether. Kill
kenny, formerly constant source OF
disorder, is now one of the quietest vii
lagos in the state. All classes of people
are pleased. Germans, PolanderS and
French, all through the country. II
there were popular vote to-day as tC
high license in Minnesota, the majority
would be overwhelmingly in its favor
There is scarcely any poverty among
the French of Minneapolis, simply be
cause there are no saloons among them
] could relate instances of this sort al
over the state, and could multiply then
by the twenties.
Speaking of the Minnesota high Ii
cense law, he said: SIT is the solution
of the temperance question; its benefits
are already appreciated by the people
and it would be impossible to change thu
high license law of Minnesota to-day"
He spoke of the financial feature o
the Minnesota law as one of its man,
admirable features, and criticised will
considerable severity the discrimination
OF the New York proposed law between
beer and whisky, saying: "They annu
the law beforehand. 1t is doubtful i
any one in the state is better able t.
judge of the general effect of this Law
with respect to drunkenness than BiShol
Ireland, and | have, therefore, Quotet
him at some length"
What the operation of this law may b.
in st. Paul it is of course difficult t.
say. But the number of application
already made is misleading as to tn
number of licenses which will be takel
out, from the fact that time yet remain
for the saloonkeeperS to determine
whether or not they will continue t.
sell under the new law. 1t is probabl
that there will be more than $50 license
taken out in this city, where heretofor
there have been $50 saloons.
Trusting that you will be able togleal
from this letter some true notion res
pecting high license in Minnesota, an,
regretting the delay in answering you
communication, am, very truly yours
A. L. MCGIIL.