St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-03-17
CURRENT COMMENT.

CURRENT COMMENT.
II MeSSrs. Morton and Hoch, who edit
the Minneapolis base ball aggregation,
are unsuccessful in their attempt to Sc
cure and maintain an uptown ball park
this season it will be largely Que to the
fact that they are new in Minneapolis
and do not half realize the depths of
meanness and puritanical intolerance
that the Minnesota-bred crank is
capable of. They will not watch
the corners close enough or look
with sufficient alertneSS for
Misrepresentation, falsifications and
other undetermined means of carrying
on fanatical warfare against an inno-
cent, manly, healthgiying sport that is
known all over the world as America's
national game. If ever the prosperity
of any city was endangered by crank
rule, acting as much through courts of
law as legislative bodies, it is lovely
Minneapolis that but for 1.-The wither-
ing hand Of fanaticism must indeed be
the queen of the Northwest.
This reform city government seems
to be remarkably slow in realizing that
cleanliness is next to goodness. 1t
struggle for moral cleanliness. the coun-
ell and other officials should strike an
occasional blow for clean streets, clean
alleys, clean crossings and pasSable
sidewalks. Aside from the mucb-com-
mented on display of feminine hosiery
and the Inconvenience to the tender
dudelet from the mud that now adorns
the principal avenues, there are other
things to be considered. Its a positive
nuisance to business men and all who
have to be out. 1t gives the city dis
NAL, bedraggled appearance, which is
enough to drive away stranger who
had just set foot in town, and it is
doubtful If he would feel much like
leaving a large amount of capital in
such place.
A young lady of more than usual as
surance and entirely unaffected with
the timidity common to most of her sex,
has settled a question which has agi-
tated the minds Of those acquainted in
police circles for some time as to
whether the police matron is failure.
Some have confidently asserted that
there was no call for such an official:
others have decided that it would be
good enough thing if there was more
money in the treasury than could be
conveniently disposed of. but rather
thought it ahead of the rest of the po-
lice system. The young woman who
investigated the matter declares, how
ever, that although supported by a
knowledge of her own innocence and
of the fact that she could go where she
chose in the morning, she felt much
less like weeping in the presence of the
matron than she should if large, burly
copper with red WHISPERS had officiated
In that capacity. In fact, she believes
matron is a good thing.
Gum chewing as social accomplish
ment is probably not regarded any more
favorably by the elite than it was five
years ago, but as a gymnastic exercise
1t has grown rapidly and steadily IN
popular favor until to-day two-thIrds of
all the people you meet on the street
are cleaning the teeth, strengthening
and identifying the gums and purify
ing the breath with some villainous
compound of petroleum, clay, glycerine
and checkerberry. Cum chewing is a
fine art" said very proper young
lady the other day. Now you meet
people Oh the street every day whose
habit is disguStingly apparent to
eye and ear, but now really you bave
never noticed that | was manipulating
Tutti Fruit, did you? No, of course
not. Well, l do, and was at It when
you came in, but you see | take a small
piece and don't make any attempt to
strike fire with my teeth when come
down on it. keep my lips closed, too.
and don't try to talk and chew at the
same time" The trade in gum in Min
neapoliS is something enormous, and a
wholesale confectioner said the other
day that sales had more than doubled in
the past two years. Some physicians
recommend gum chewin for indigestion,
and if the habit continues to grow as it
has, Americans, in the Northwest, at
least, will cease to be the nation of
dyspeptic that they have been called.
Another year has rolled away into the
forgotten formerly and unless the Min
nesOta legislature unexpectedly awakes
TO some sense of its duties. it will &C
cording to the provisions of the freak
act creating the police commission, de-
volve upon the city council of Mime
apoliS to elect 4 new member of the
board to hold down in the far-famed
executive sessions, the seat which
Uncle John Baxter will vacate April
]. BY the way, it has been suggested
that April is a decidedly
inauspiciouS day for public official to
begin his duties, and the actions of this
particular board have rather tended TO
strengthen belief in such omens.
OmenS or no omens, a new police COM
missioner must be chosen, and that from
the ranks of the q. o. p, and he must
hold no other Office under the city gov
ernment, either. So far there have been
no applications for the job, but it is un-
derstoOd that the present incumbent
would not object to re-election-if it
were unanimous, of cOurse-and that he
would not refuse to serve if elected
by fair majority. The Scandi-
navians, too, are clamoring for
recognition and certain Republican
leaders see here an opportunity to cor
rect mistake that might prove fatal to
party interests if something were not
done to satisfy the people who did so
much at the ballot box and received so
little from 1t. Col. W. G. Byron, the
busy man of the exposition. has been
mentioned in connection with the place,
but as he has plenty of work and glory
is not devoid Of other resources of reye-
nue., and is so constituted that he would
get nothing out of the Office except his
salary, it is doubtful if the position
would have any attractions for hun.
The Crossing Case.