St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-12-29

so. If Maben has been at
fault, few think that he has dellber
ateIy erred. That he may have been
overzeal0us Is possible, but more prob
able theory is that he thought he was
doing right. On the other hand there
is not q by any means small number OF
persons. and they have always been
friends of Bracket. too, who want to see
the matter sifted to the bottom. Ii
| Bracket has been wrOugfully accused
of raRk misdoing while in office they
desire to see his name cleared of all sns-
piciOn. But it is fact that many a
man who has borne as good reputa-
ton as VIM Bracket has been discOv-
eIed to be what the nOYelistS call
whited sepulcher. So. III the chief Of
police of Minneapolis has been guilty
of protecting the vileSt Of all vile hui
man beings, prOcureSs, it is right that
he should be revealed in his true self. de-
posed from his influential position and
punished. Whichever way the case
may 90, all decent people want to see 1t
go right. and, with jury of the caliber
of the one now sitting on this case, there
can be but little doubt Of the justice of
its findings.
Speaking Of Chief Bracket naturally
brings ones mind, to the consideration
present administration OF righteousness.
Without venturing upon Or. Burrelrs
preserves, the gambling houses, the sa-
looms and the houses of ill fame, it is
possible to pick few holes in
the manner in which the laws
and peace of the city are at
present maintained. Along in the SUM-
mer of 1887 there was what amounted
to reign of terror. Well dressed citi-
ZenS were afraid to be seen outside of
their own doors. Nor were they always
safe even i'll the presence of theirOWn
lares and penates. 1t was urged at
that time that the disorder was
wholly owing to the corrupt state which
the police department had attained
under AmeS' administration. AdyO-
Gates of the police commission said:
''JuSt wait until our police commission
get to working in good shape. Then
we'll show you how a city Should be
governed" The commission was young
at that time, and the plea. was made in
its behalf that it was too soon to expect
results.
The police commission is now nearly
three years Old To add to its greater
efficiency, its membership has been re-
duced to three. Internal disSension has
always characterized its workings. At
present the police department is con-
trollad by two men in place of one.
as formerly. One, at least, of
these two men has nothing at
stake. politically or otherwise; the
other has little more; certainly none of
a political nature. -Four months of his
administration. demonstrated that he
would never be offered a reelection.
Houses of ill-tame, instead of being con-
fined to one certain quarter, as they
should be, flourish in every part of the
city,, The most respectable resi-
dence; portions of the city are not
strangers to them. Street-walkers are
everywhere. They have penetrated to
sections where, under the old condi-
tions of things, they never dared to
show their faces, and there, under the
very. eye Of the police. carry on their
nefarious traffic. Sandbaggers and
thugs are again with us. House break
ings are of everyday occurrence. Crime
is pretty nearly having its own way, land
policemen are too busy watching for
saloonkeepers. who may wish to
straighten up their places OF business
ON Sunday morning. to catch criminals.
And all these are facts, despite the con-
trary assertions of "a police reporter of
eight, wears standing" The results
/ Speaking of the ladies of uneasy Vir-
tue, who nightly promenade the streets
and solicit patronage, recalls an incl
dent of about two and One-half years ago
with which Aid. Downs was connected.
Tom was one of others making vigor-
:ous crusade against the street walker.
The alderman from the Fifth ward
cited an experience of his own, wherein
ii was related that even he had been
approached, it was on either Washing
ton or First avenue north, by one of the
unholy creatures. The genial Tom was
Mortified by even the thought that such
a thing could exist in civilized
community. Yet it would not
be necessary to make journey
of very many blocks from
Brother Downs own residence, out near
Twenty-fourth street, to find persons
who are in the same business as the one
whonearly threw him into Mysteries in
the most crowded part of the city. If
sach state of things exists so far out,
what must be the condition of affairs
down town. where such creatures live
and move, and have their being? Should
the merry alderman so desire, walk on
any of the principal streets of Minneap
oils would soon convince him that Min
neapolis is not so much more righteous
than it used to be.