St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-11-17

that they have been in the penitentiary,
and that when they do get work where
they are unknown, but are discharged
when their employers become possessed
of the knowledge that they are eX-eon-
VictS. a Minneapolis judge says that
there is nothing in it. He says that the
natural disposition of people Is TO heip
such persons, if they show by their con-
duet that they are worthy of 1t. lie
gave an instance of a young man whom
he had known in the East who came
West, got a place of responsibility,
abused the confidence of his employers,
robbed them of a large amount, and
went to the penitentiary. When he
came out he resolved to enter upon a
different course of life, went to work at
ANYTHING which he found to do, and is
to-day a respected commercial traveller
in receipt of slarge salary. He is
frequent visitor in this city, and makes
no secret of the fact that he is an ex-
convict.
A man who committed one OF the
most unprovoked and cOld-blOOded muir
ders ever known in this state, and who
was sentenced TO Saltwater for lie,
but was pardoned after serving some
fifteen years, had charge Of an exhibit
dl TIC CABOSlllOu WV
thousands TO whom he explained his
wares probably there was not more
than three persons who knew the dark
secret of his life. After the exposition
closed he disappeared from Minneapolis,
and il is not known what has become Of
him. Another man who committed a
terrible murder for the purpose of rob-
berry is a quiet and inOffenSive citizen OF
peighbOring town. He, too. was sent
to Saltwater for life and was pardOned
after having served for number of
wears. He finds no trouble IN securing
employment. and bids fair to be good
citizen for the remainder of his life. No
doubt prisoners aid societies are good
things and may accomplish beneficial
work, but it is not true that because a
man has service term in the penlten-
tiary he is thereby cut of from all
chance of reforming on his own hook
and achieving a fair degree of means in
life.
Mrs. 7. B. Walker. who has just re-
turned from the turbulent session OF
the W. G. T. Z. at Chicago, is repre-
scented as having said that one of the
eommonest epithets applied to the Re-
publican party in that convention was
f'those rotten Republicans, and she
seems to have been very much offended
thereat. 1t appears that the good and
respected lady is somewhat more OF
Republican than she is a ProhibitiOnist,
and that if she were called upon to
abandon one or the other she would let
go of Prohibition and adhere to the Re-
publican party. The GLOBE does not
dispute her right to make this choice.
but it does protest that those Prohibit
tiOniSts who characterize the Republic
can party as being ROTTEN" so far as
the question of prohibition is concerned,
are right. The party has had it in its
power for years TO submit the question
of prohibition to a vote of the people of
Minnesota. but it has steadfastly refused
10 do so. On the contrary, it has in
dorSed high license both in its platforms
and by its legislation. Now. if Mrs.
Walker is prepared to follow the party
in this respect. and even go farther and
say that. in her opinion, high license
and careful restriction of the liquor
traffic is the shortest and safest road to
prohibition, there would be consist
ency in her views which nobody could
Justly question. But the Prohibition
lists do not admit or claim anything of
this kind. As a matter of fact. if they
had their way and were compelled to
choose between high license and free
whisky, they would unhesitatingly
choose the latter, because they claim
that the state has no right. even by i'm
pllcatiOn, to legaliZe wrong by licenS-
Ing it.
Fault may be found with the prem
iSes on which this argument is founded.
but if it is admitted to be correct, and
Mrs Walker is understood TO so hold,
then the conclusion must be admitted to
be correct. There is no escape from
that fact. Everybody who was on the
inside last winter knows it to be a fact
that the legislature, which was in Re-
publican hands by large majority, bent
all of his energies towards making the
treatment OF the question of conStitu-
tiOnal prohibition by that body a roar.
ing farce, and it succeeded admirably
Probably Mrs. Walker. in the innocence
of her kind heart. is not aware of this,
but it is a fact. nevertheless, and those
real prohibitiOniSts who were in that
body as members know it. Some OF
them have said so, while others who
also knew it have kept quiet for the
good of the G. q. P, to which they are
devOtedly attached.
The position of the Democratic party
on the question is far more consistent.
1t does not believe in prohibition as a
feasible and practicable means of pro-
noting the canse of temperance and il
says so in its platforms. and in the leg
islative action of its members On the
other hand, the Republican party PLAYS
fast and loose with the question, having
In view the object of defeating prOhibi.
ton and retaining in its ranks the
voters who believe that prohibition is
the great issue on which political cam
paignS should be conducted: that the
sale of intoxicating liquors is the one
great evil which menaceS the welfare OF
the country.
Events will show that if Mrs. Walker
were much younger woman than she
IS, she would not live long enough tC
see the Republican party of Minnesota
committed to constitutional prohibition
even if she reached the age of Methus
elah.
Since the above was written the Pro
gressive Age, of Minneapolis, which i:
the organ of the Minnesota Prohibition
lists. has come cut in condemnation OF
the action of Mrs. Foster. The article i:
mildly drawn, but it is, nevertheless
unmistakable in its tone. Among othel
things, 1t says: "Hhe Republican ano
Democratic parties had the chance tC
champion these great reforms. They
were asked most respectfully, and
earnestly solicited by the National W
c. T. U. to become the open enemy Of
the liquor traffic and the champion OF
reform, and they refused to become
such. = Mrs. j. Ellen Foster. the
proud, brilliant woman that she is
seems to US to be arrayed against the
only party that stands for the staying Of
the arch monster of human iniquitv. the
nurturing of great reforms and the ex
altation of womanhOOd."