St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-01-08
Charges Preferred in Court
Against the Principal in
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 Miunesota's Governor Size

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 10 its
workings. The letter in full is as fol-
lows:
St. Paul, Mimi, Jan. 6, lsSS-A. p.
Miller, of the Mail and Express, New
York, \. Y: Replying 10 your favor
OF Dee. q, 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 thigh license" law passed by
the legislature of Minnesota at its last
session. and / also enclose for your
further information copy of the law
itself. This law, you will, perhaps, re-
member, went into effect throughout
the state-excepting the city of st. Paul
lon 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, in 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 very
few exceptions, the law is
in force throughout the state, and, gen.
orally stated. there has been reduc-
ton in the number of saloons under the
new law of over 1000.
While the effects of the law with re-
gard to the diminutiOn of drunkenness
must naturally be of
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-
SOnai observations in the southern half
of the state, known as the Parish of St.
Paul.
I'm Winona," said the bishop, there
is very large Polish population, per-
haps 500 families, mainly composed of
mill hands. Formerly there was good
III.
There is now but one saloon among the
Polanders instead of the eight or ten ex-
listing before the law went into effect,
and the. bank deposits of the Polish
people are unusually large. Clergymen
and employers have noted a marked i'm
provement.
Caledonia, Houston county, was for
merly composed of large drinking pop
ulatiOn. Now. but four saloons exist,
where formerly thereiwere fifteen. A
brewer of liquors formerly sent his
wagonload of Kegs every morning-he
now sends once a week"
Hokah, Houston COunty-A brewery
had been vacant for some time. 1t was
bought by 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. XII
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. If
there were popular vote to-day as to
high license in Minnesota, the majority
There is scarcely any poverty among
the French of Minneapolis. simply be-
cause there are no saloons among them.
j could relate instances of this sort all
over the state, and could multiply them
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 the
high license law of Minnesota to-day"
He spoke of the financial feature OF
the Minnesota law as one of its many
admirable features, and criticised with
considerable severity the discrimination
of the New York proposed law between
beer and whisky, saying: "They annu
the law beforehand. 1t is doubtful il
any one in the state is better able tt
judge of the general effect of this Law
with respect to drunkenness than Bishop
Ireland, and | have, therefore, quoteC
him at some length"
What the operation of this law may be
in st. Paul it is of course difficult tt
say. But the number of application:
already made is misleading as to the
number of licenses which will be taker
out, from the fact that time yet remains
for the SaloonkeeperS to determine
whether or not they will con tinue tt
sell under the new law. 1t is probable
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 to gleaI
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. r. MCGIIL.