St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-12-02
HOT SHOT FROM SMITH
The Bottom Clearly Knocked
Out Of the Grand Jury'S
Report.
Not a Single Saloon Operated
Without the Sanction Of
the City.
Cases Instanced by the Ju-
rors Outside the Mayors
Jurisdiction.
II Any One Is Blafnable, 1t Is
the Grand Jury for Fail
ure to Indict.

yesterday with Mayor Smith bya repre-
sentative of the GLOBE upon the report
of the grand jury submitted Monday, in
which charges were preferred against
city officials Of allowing liquor to be
sold at numerous places without license.
His honor was busIly engaged yester-
day during the day. but found time to
examine most minutely the details of
each case reported by the grand jury.
AS will be seen from the statements
made by the mayor, there is not sim
gle instance where liquor is being sold
IN the city y any person to whom a
license ShouId have been issued. His
honor, in discussing the matter, said:
have examined somewhat carefully the
report of the grand jury filed Yesterday, and
consider it my duty to the citizens of this
city to correct certain of its statements which
are misleading.
II is proper to call the attention of the pnb-
lie to the fact that the subject of the issuance
OF liquor licenses and the payment for the
same has been under consideration by three
grand JurleS during the present year. The
grand jury which convened in January. 1891,
fully considered the entire question and
filed report which is in substance the same
as the report which was filed yesterday.
Ihe only material difference between the
two reports is that the report filed yesterday
assumes to go into details | am pleased
that after all the agitation that has been
caused on this subject detailed and specific
statement is at last made.
No Violation.
Before l conclude will prove that there
is not single instance among the fifty cases
In the list which the grand jury has filed
which, in the ordinary sense of the term,
shows a violation of the law. The grand
jury, which convened i'll June of this year,
flIl1 ia b fO
ported that they found everything concern
ing the issuance of liquor licenses and the
payment therefor satisfactory and proper
The present grand jury convened during
the early part OF October, and since that time
has thoroughly and carefully examined into
the entire subject, having summoned before
ii every person connected with the city gov
eminent who has, III any way directly or in
directly. acted in the issuance of licenses,
the collection OF money for the same and
the control of the LIQUOR traffic
Let us examine by detail the results of this
investigation. Great prominence is given in
the report OF the grand jury in the second
paragraph to the fact that applicants for
licenses have been permitted 10 begin or con-
t1nue business without the actual issuance 10
them Of licenses. IL is charged that this is
an open violation of law. and that the city is
deprived of some 81. 800 interest desire to
admit plainly that the city of st. Paul in this
matter follows the custom which business
men have found it proper and profitable TO
affairs.
1t has since time immemorial been the
practice in this city to permit persons who
have filed their application with the city
council for liquor licenses. accompanying
the same with the required bond to com
mence business at the date of such applica-
ton. 1t would be an injustice and an I'M
necessary hardship to compel such persons
to refrain from business or TO stop it after
they have in good faith complied with the
requirements of the law i'll the matter of the
application.
Issuance office nses.
1t is stated in the report that the average
OF such time is twenty-seven days. There is
not merchant in St Paul who would not
consider such time prompt payment on the
part of any customer to whom he had sold
and delivered goods.
When a license is issued it is
dated from the date of its applca-
ton, so that payment is made cover
| ing the entire time during which the icensee
| has been in the liquor business. From a
| some what intimate knowledge of the cond-
tons of this business in ST. Paul, l am of the
opinion that unless this method were fol-
| lowed, this city would lose from $50, 900 to
| S75, 200 in license fees
The third paragraph OF the report says
| that without ANY apparent warrant of law
! licenses have been transferred to other aD-
plicants, and from one business location to
another by consent of the municipal author
| tiles. 1t is hard for me to understand how
! persons occupying the responsible position
! OF member Of grand jury can speak of such
transfer as being done without ANY ap-
| parent warrant of law -
Section of Ordinance s74. which was
! passed in 1888, specifically provides for trans
| Ser and assignment of licenses The legal
| provisions therein contained have been in all
! cases strictly complied with.
The fourth paragraph of the report refers
| to list of persons who have paid the gov
| eminent special tax for carrying on the re-
! tail liquor business, and the grand Jury
| draws the conclusion that because there are
! fifty persons named on such list who have
not paid the city license that all such per
! sons are carrying on the business of retail
! liquor dealers illegally. 1t would have been
| more honest on the part of the grand jury to
| explain several things connected with this
| list which were within the knowledge o the
grand jury. and which are probably not with
| in the knowledge OF the general public In
the first place, it is a well-known fact that
| there are certain parts of the city where the
state law and city ordinances forbid saloons
| Such districts are known as the prohibited
| districts. The government of course, in
issuing its receipt showing that the special
TAX has been paid, pays no attention to any
such prohibition.
The Blind Pigs.
The following persons on the list belong