St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-10-29
WHATkBOUT SUNDAY?
The congregational Club Dis
eusses the Laws for
Sunday.
Gen. Andrews Shows the
Practical and Literal I'M
possibility
OF Enforcing to the Letter
the Laws on the Statute
Books.
Others Disagree, and a Warm
Discussion Is the Re-
suit.

! club membership is largely recruited
| from the CongregatlonalistS of the Twin
cities, ladies and gentlemen. The
clergy who graced last evenings gath
! erng were j. K. Merrell. 5. l.. b..
Spcare, G. f. Thwing, of Minneapolis;
| Wallace NuttIng. A. j. Benedict, IL.
! Heath. S. q. Smith, of It. Paul; +. L..
! Fisk, of Minneapolis. The guests were
first suitably RECALLED with light refresh
memtS, provided by the ladies Of the
| Park Congregational church, and to
! Gen. c. c. Andrews was entrusted what
| may appropriately be termed the OPEN
! ing of the heavy part OF the programme.
Gen. Andrews had chosen for his SUBJ
! ject: "HOw to Close Saloons on Sun
! day."' The general is a deep thinker
and on social subjects his ideas are Of
! the most practical character. His de-
auctions are always worthy of perusal.
| and last night he delivered himself as
follows:
In discussing a question of practical
government, such as the closing of sa-
| looms in this city, or in any large city,
Oh Sunday, we must look at something
besides the ideal. We must not expect
perfection, A large city always COM
priseS a great variety of peODleO of whom
many are strangers, and more liberty is
to be expected in such city than. i'll
small one. While, however, exceptional
freedom must be allowed in a large city,
| it is but reasonable that tipping houses
or saloons should be closed on Sunday.
Even in the freeSt continental cities Of
Europe ordinances for closing such
places, at least during the usual hours
of religious worship on Sundays, have
been and are successfully enforced.
for closing saloons on Sundays at the
state capital. in whose exemplary gov
eminent every citizen of Minnesota is
concerned. the mayor is responsible for
its enforcement. He alone, appoints
and removes police officers and patrol
men. Let us follow, for moment, the
plan of action we may assume he Will
adopt lie says to the chief Of police:
Il hold you responsible that all saloons
be kept closed on Sundays" The chief
then
CAUTIONS HIS sUBoRDINATEs
in like manner, and for awhile the ordi-
nance is better enforced. Then things
relapse into their former negligent con-
ditiOn. But we will suppose that the
mayor means business; and finally he
goes so far as to appoint new chief of
| police, who he thinks will prove snffi-
| GENTLY energetic and efficient. This
is followed by an exhibition of
vigor. A few examples are made.
But still the law is not thoroughly
enforced. What is the matter? Of
course more or less intrigue is at work
10 circumvent the chief of police. But
his principal obstacle is found in his
parOlmen. Now it is unpleasant TO
criticise those who amid exposures
guard our security in the night. and
do not refer to them in any unkind or
fault-finding spirit. But we must view
things as they are: and tits a fact, be-
lieve, that our city patromen are, as
rule, middie-aged men and habitual
! users of intoxicating drink. 10 some
extent they are gratuitOuSly furnished
with refreshments by saloons. Their
sympathy is on the side of the saloons,
and to expect them TO enforce the Sun
day ordinance against saloons in strict
and thorough manner would be as alb
surd as to expect jury of school chill
dren to impartially try a cOnfectiOner.l
Suppose a new and jealous chief of
police were to undertake the appoint
ment of new subordinateS. He would
have to make changes gradually. The
new appointees would be only appren-
tees, and, II not
their efficiency would be impaired by
the jealousy of the older incLmbentS and
| the intrigue of those whom they sup
planted. Meantime the friends of open
saloons are threatening reaction at the
next municipal election which may be
only a few months distant; condition
calculated to weaken the moral power
of the MAYOR, and to hold even we'll
| disposed police i'll check. Let a mayor
and chief of police be ever so jealous
for the enforcement of the ordinance
unless public opinion, by a large ma
| iority, swith them their influence and
| efforts are very much weakened by the
| shortness of their tenure of Office.
| Through intrigue and the influence OF
! the saloons such mayor would be la
bic to defeat at the next election.
What then is the remedy? A natural
| and legitimate remedy is to educate and
| arouse a public opinion strongly favor
able to Sunday saloon closing. A still
| further remedy would be to change a.
| most entirely, the police force. For pa
| trolmen [ would have younger men
| than are now employed in that duty.
! 1t is Young men who possess the reQui-
| site zeal and activity. Till l had eff
| fected complete reformation in the
| Sunday closing | would employ patrol
men from about twenty-five to thirty
years of age-yOung men who had never
been addicted to the Use of intoxicating
| drink, and who would have no tempta-
ton to accept any kind of hospitality
! from saloons. But it will be said. IF
your young policeman will not accept
A DRINK OR A CIGAR
| from a saloon, might lie not accept a SO
! bill? Alas, there is another trouble. 1t
I fr
| ideal young men TO serve on the police,
but we would have TO select from
refuse classroom what is left after the
learned professions, business houses
! and mechanic trades have had their
! pick And this fact admeniSheS us that
we ought to furnish such employees a
| prospect of lettering their condition in
! life-to give them all possible motives
| of Self-intereSt for serving the public
| faithfully. Though we would, of course,
fail in obtaining perfect system, still 1
would persevere in the plan of employ
| ing young and temperate men. And
that thorough trial might be made of
enforcing law. would have an indie
! pendent commissioner or chief of police
| who should hold his position for term
| of at least six years, and with power to
| appoint his subordinates. In leading
foreign cities such an officer is a person
of high rank and dignity. and he ought
to he with us. If, however. he were
obliged to be always on the alert for
hard political struggle, and, at every BIZ
ennial election, TO engage in a hard
struggle with saloon politics, he would
be likely to be overwhelmed before he
had chance to show what he could do.
lie would certainly need tenure of six
years in order to be free from the moral
resistance and INSTRUMENTATION incident
to political intrigue.
However much people may differ as
to the remedy for more thorough en-
! fOreeInent of law. it is certain that in