St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-11-10
SAINT PAUL.
WALKS AND TALKS.

The world is not as good as it ought
10 DE. but it is difficult to conceive how
it can be improved in the way laid down
by Mrs. Abby Morton Diaz, of Boston.
Mrs. DiaZ is an estimable, well-mean-
ing lady, who, the past week, has de-
nvered a series of lectures to the men,
berS of the Business Women's club. Her
propositions smack loudly of UtOp-
ianism, and sound very pretty in
the concrete. For instance, Mrs.
Diaz would dispense with social in
edualities: she would reform the world
OF all its impurities. And how would
she do this? According 10 her theory,
the reformers of tO-day-the reformars
of the generations that have gone-have
been laboring at the wrong end. Their
efforts have been directed TO raising up
the lower classes. What they should
have done was and is TO purge the so
called higher or society classes OF all
evil. The rich people are the
owners of the saloons; they are
largely the recruiters and maintainerS of
the houses Of prostitutions; and Mrs.
DiaZ argues that if once strong.
healthy opinion could be forme among
scott ty leaders, the great social problem
would be solved. The wealth and IN
lelligence of the country would become
more concerned in the welfare Of their
less fortunate brethren. and instead OF
giving them a bad example to follow,
would remove all obstacles in their way
of advancement. Social barriers wonld
be levelled to the ground, the reign or
universal good will; the millennium
would be quietly uShered in.
Mrs. Diaz's words are very taking.
There could be nothing more sublime
than the world which she hungerS to
iuaugWate; but there is one difficulty
who is going TO do this great work
among the leaders of society? Who are
the people with sufficient strength of
mind to so work upon the rich that they
will close saloons and cease patrOniZing
houses OF prostitution? 1t is all very
we'll TO say that this ought to be done.
but the practical side of things
must also be considered Wealth
to-day is all-pOwerful; il is the aim of
every one to make money, and the men
who will cease to own saloon upon
mere sentimental grounds are few and
far between. Mrs. DiaZ is honest in
her effort to improve the general cOndi-
ton of mankind, bot like all latter-day
social reformers, her theories are too
UtOpiau. What is wanted is something
practical; something substantial; not q
mere dream of what could be done If
the leopard would only change its
spots.
The crusade of the retail statesmen
TO inaugurate a system Of early closing
is a deserving one. No man, whatever
his position in life. should be expected
TO work from daylight to far into the
night. And, yet, this is what many
men and women are now doing in this
city. There are hundreds of married
men, employed in the retail trade, who
never see their family out of bed from
Monday morning to Saturday night. l
was talking 10 one of them yesterday.
He said. Il leave home every morn
ing at $50 O'Clock and return at $50.
This is the ease every working day
Of the week; and the consequence is
that | am almost q total stranger to my
little ones. The other day my youngest
child said to his mother on seeing me in
the house: who is that MANI" and
was absolutely afraid of coming near
me. l really am practically cut OFF
from any intercourse with my family.
The early closing movement is without
doubt movement deserving the sup
post of the general public. 1t is mop
strOuS that men should be compelled to
Of the week.
There has been gathered into the
basement of the chamber of commerce
sufficient cast-off clothing to equip a
whole army of men and women. The
citizens have responded molly to the
call for relief from the distressed agri-
eulturists of Dakota; but is it not lit
tie too too that while the Twin Cities
are coming forward with this relief the
weekly papers Of the infant states are
shrieking that there is very little dis
treSS in their midst? They are doing
this under the plea that to say there is
distress in Dakota the flow of immIgra-
ton will be stopped. But what about
the people who are face to face with
absolute starvation? Are they to be
sacrificed in the interests of so selfish
an idea? The position taken by the Da-
kOta press is unworthy the boosted civ
tliZatiOn Of the nineteenth century.
A little power is 4 dangerous thing to
the person without the education to
know how to use it. The modern pO-
liceman is an instance. Because he is
policeman he becomes consumed with
the belief that the earth is his, entirely
forgetting that his monthly salary
comes from the pockets of the citizens.
If be did he might respect their rights
little more. No policeman has the
right. without proYOcatiOn, to roughly
handle any civilian; and yet at any
gathering Of the public there are hund-
reds of such occurrences. The police
man exhibits more of the qualities of
bully than a protector of the public
peace. The people would do well to
demand that the best available edu-
Gated class of men should be selected
to compose the police force; not men of
mere brutal strength and leaningS.
The Jobbers' union yesterday in
dOrsed the appropriation of 1000 of
their funds towards the relief of dis
treSSed Dakota citizens. The relief
wagons viii visit the suburban centers
on Wednesday.