St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-09-22
THE SOCIAL CLUB.

Minneapolis is a growing, prosperous,
but too much governed city. The class
Of citizens, who, by reason of long resi-
dence, wealth or political influence have
gained an ascendency which has en-
sbled them in a measure 10 dictate 10
others. seem 10 be moved not by
the spirit of the golden rule, "Do unto
others as you would be done by" Dut
bv a desire to make others do as you
WOuId have them do. From this en-
deayor to regulate by law the manner
nf living of the whole as TO conform with
the ideas or theories Of the part; has
come these curious laws which allow
the sale of liquor on six days and pro-
hibit on the seventh: which permit
the sale of liquor on one side OF the
the street and forbid it on the other. Of
course. these measures are enforced
under the cloak of necessary RESTRICTION
for the purpose of protection to public
order. but stripped of pretenSe this is
what they mean, and while perhaps not
more inconsistent with justice than the
rule which allows a man TO speculate
upon the rise and fall OF articles OF 1000
IN the market, and make 1t mlsde-
meanor for him to wager. or
speculate upon the turn OF card,
have always met with opposition III
.heir enforcement. Quite naturally.
TOO. as Minneapolis Is a Cosmopolitan
eitv. and the German. the Frenchman,
Scandinavian. has resented the restrlc-
lions which. in narrowness. conform
fgurativelv to the confines of the little
towns and villages of New England
states. The law which created prohi-
bitiOn of the sale of liquor i'll certain To-
raIIfies of the CITY, in spite of the fact
that Minnesota Is not prohibition
state. has finally, by the use of harsh
Rnd extreme measures. been seemingly
enforced. and more recently another
law. framed presumably for farming
districts. which fOrbidS the selling
of liquor after midnight and on Sunday
has been applied more stringently than
ever before. as aTegulatIOn for the daily
life of a metropolis. The latest phase
Of this struggle to compel people to live
In accordance with certain rules and
regulations, and the opposition 1t meets,
Is the social club, which is used as an
evasion of the high license. the patrol
limits and the midnight and closing
Sunday laws. The ''Dlind pig" as it
heretofore existed. has been simply
defiance and open violation, but the
social club is more ingenious scheme.
Certain wealthy citizens of high standing
for a number of years past have aSSO-
ciated themselves together and main
tanned several fashionable clubs. at
which liquors have been dispensed
without the payment to the state of
$1,000 for the privilege. a year. 1t.
therefore. occurred to certain other cltl-
Eens who have happened in resources
to be neither wealthy nor eminent,
socially, that they could do the same
thing. and they have also organized
similar clubs conducted on the same
plan. and the strange anomaly IS pre-
sented to-day of social clubs scattered
for the most part about in localities in
which the sale of liquor is prescribed.
With no license required, and
police to compel them to close,
On Sundays or after midnight.
The Injustice to the SalOOnkeeperS is APP
parent. For example the man who takes
out a thousand-dOllar license has been
prevented from doing business within
certain hours. while the manager" of
the social club a few doors away sup
plies the thirsty crowd turned away
from his doors. Perhaps it is impossible
10 abolish the social club, and the effort
has not been made, but is it not striking
commentary upon the Republican
policy of interference with personal
liberty and the injustice of the diScrlm-
mating sumptuary laws?