St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-10-29
WHATABOUT 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.

Z CluO HiNilDNl0lllg 10 iftA -Nig Avn $1,000
| from the CongregatOnalistS of the Twin
cities, ladies and gentlemen. The
clergy who graced last evenings gath
| pring were j. K. Merrtll, ). l.. b.
! Speare, c. T. Thwing, OF Minneapolis;
Wallace Nuttlng, A. j. Benedict, IL.
! Heath. 5. G. Smith, of It. Paul; +. l..
! Fisk, of Minneapolis. The guests were
! first suitably RECALLED with light refresh
! mentS, provided by the ladies' of the
| Park Congregational church, and to
! Gen. c. G.. Andrews was entrusted what
| NAV appropriately be termed the OPEN
ing of the heavy part of the programme.
! Gen. Andrews had chosen for his sub
iert: "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 peruSai,
and last night he delivered himself as
follows:
In discussing question of practical
| government, such as the closing of Sa-
! looms in this city, or in any large city,
! on Sunday, we must look at something
| besides the ideal. We must not expect
! perfection, A large city always COM
! priseS a great variety of people OF whom
many are strangers, and more liberty Is
! 10 be expected in such a city than. III
| small one. While, however, exceptional
! freedom must be allowed in large city,
| it is but reasonable that tipping houses
or saloons should be closed on Sunday.
| Even i'll the trteSt 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.
Now, with reference to the ordinance
| 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 a moment, the
! plan of action we may assume he Will
| adopt. He says to the chief OF police:
Il hold you responsible that all saloons
| he kept closed on Sundays" The chief
! then
CAUTIONS HIS SUBORDTNATES
/ in like manner. and for awhile the Ordi-
nance is better enforced. Then things
relapse into their former negligent CON
ditiOn. But we vii suppose that the
mayor means business; and finally he
| goes so far as to appoint new chief of
! police, who he thinks will prove snifi-
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
| pafroImen. Now it is unpleasant to
! criticise those who amid exposures
| guard our security in the night. and l
do not refer to them in any unkind or
| fault-fnding spirit. But We must view
| things as they are; and tits a fact, be-
! lieve, that our city patrolmen are, as
| rule, middie-ag 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,
| aud to expect them 10 enforce the sun
| day ordinance against saloons in strict
! and thorough manner would be as alb
surd as to expect a jury of school chill
| dren to impartially try cOnfectl0ner.i
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, if not
ACTUALLY BULLDoZED
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 mayor
and chief of police be ever so jealous
for the enforcement of the ordinance
Ii oF,ininn hU LARGE A.
iority, isWith 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 a 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 public opinion strongly favor
able to Sunday saloon closing. still
further remedy would be to change a.
most entirely, the police force. For pa
trOmen [ would have younger men
than are now employed in that duty.
II is Young men who possess the requi-
site zeal and activity. Till l had eff
fected a 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 SO
bill? Alas, there is another trouble. 1t
would not only be impossible to obtain
ideal young men TO serve on the police,
but we would have 10 select from a
IL baf l. lift aftar a
learned professions, business houses
and mechanic trades have had their
. pick. And this fact admoniSheS us that
we ought to furnish such employees a
prospect of lettering their condition in
iife-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
would peTsevere 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 a
! hard political struggle, and, at every BIZ
ennial election, to engage in 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 a tenure of six
I 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-
! forceInent of law. it is certain that in
1 Liz n.,a Il, Inn.t of nur Ia rma nitins ,,.a