St. Paul daily globe., 1888-05-13
THE CITY NEEDS 1T.
Suggestions for the Disposition OF
the Admired Police Commission

Suggestions for the Disposition of
the Admired Police Commission.
To the Editor of the Globe.
The Minneapolis police commission is
now practically composed of one Demo
crat and three Republicans, consequently
the p olice force, since the retrenchment
board has been run in on the people, is
worked in behalf of the G. o.p. The
successor to the first retil ed member of
the board is said to be Simon-pure
Democrat, man of liberal views and
honest principles, ready to transact
believing that the people have right
to know from time to time what the
public servants are doing. But as he
is still in the minority, the "star cham
Der sessions" will probably continue as
in the past. That moral disciplnarian
who recently purloined the majority re-
port is, in his own estimation, shining
light for the members of the police
force. That under his wise counsel the
city has become moral is shown in his
report; and even without perusal of
that majority report, it will appear to
the eyes of the general public as clear
as mud that in one short year, under the
chaste guidance of the police
tanned a high standard of purity.
The blind pigs have all been killed,
saloons closed on Sunday, while gamb-
ling is thing of the past; the domiciles
of the ''madams" have become deserted;
First street has lost its charms; even
the once gay chippie is wearing sack
cloth and letting her hair grow. Truly
the wicked are filled with terror when a
resolution is passed by this galaxy of
reformers. The people of Minneapolis
are not slow to appreciate a good thing
when they see it, therefore it is not sur
prising that they are clamoring for
more. Another such a moral commits
sion, tor instance, to mOraliZe the fire
department., and then we could petition
a non-partisan legislature to appoint for
us city commission and practically do
away with the city council. Then the
good people would have grand COM
mission octopus" that could stretch
its sheltering arms about the taxpayer
treasury. What glorious future is in
store for US, if we can only get rid of
that man Ames and his low-tax
policy. This would also save
voters the troublesome method of
appointing their representatives
directly by the ballot-box and besides
give quite large number of the truly
good an opportunity to inaugurate such
a reform league as the people have long
wished for. In this connection, to
further aid the good work, it is quite
easy to find an answer to riddle which
the Republican party in this city is try
ing to solve, namely, candidate for
mayor. Since Mr.. COoley's scope of
vision is too broad to merit an indorse-
ment from the narrOw-minded ones, let
them nominate Majority Report Baker.
He can guarantee to heW out about as
narrow policy as the most narrow
minded ones could wish for, and for a
strengthener he could depend on an in
dorsement from the majority report
side of the police commission, of
whom there are two besides his own
signature. The public record of one of
these dates mainly from the time he
was sprung in as police commissioner,
quentIy troubled with hypocondria,
brought on by Mayor Bakers advice on
Of Of" the o other T much is p0n Known, l0aIei and
enough more to make sensational
book is not known. He has been before
the public number of years and is gen
orally known as the "Old Detective,"
which title was applied to him at the
time of Tim Barrett's arrest. But as
"Old Sleuth's" connection with discov-
ering the Barrett murderers soon proved
rather mythical, the breach then already
existing between the county attorney
and the p. G. widened into a yawning
chasm. But there are other cases in
which the 'Old Detective" played more
of central figure, and whereby he, as
present consulting engineer of the police
force, reflects much credit OH the city's
protector.