St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-07-25

| NEWSPAPERS, BEING SUBSIDIZED, REMAE
SILENT-A STURDY REPUBLICAN
GOVERNOR.
THE LAW MUST PREVAIL.
ST PAUL. Mimi, July Especial Tele
| gram.-A delegation headed by Chairman
/ COehrane, OF the citizens vigIlantes, waited
! on your correspondent here to-day. Chairman
! COchraue said:
Through the Inter Ocean the citizens OF
! St Paul desire TO reach the American people.
| The major portion of the Minnesota state
press has been subsidized. and it is practically
| impossible to get at the public in fair way
! We have brought along a stenOgrapher, and
would like to make statement in the form
! of an interview. VIII the Inter Ocean come
/ to our aid?'
Being answered in the affirmative, the re-
porter, the committee and the stenOgrapheI
! repaired to the Vigilantes headquarters, and
there, for the first time, the committee,
through its chairman made statement
The responses to the reporters questions
are evidence of frightful degeneracy in the
local Democratic powers. and q strong.
stanch and unfinching fealty to duty on the
part Of the Republican state executive-Gov.
| Merriam.
MIR. Cochrane," asked the reporter. ''now
that the smoke Of the first battle has blown
over, what will be the
Position OF the Committee
you represent as to any proposed violations
of similar character in the future?n
Answer by Mr. COchrane: We hope and
expect that the result of this contest. which
| we consider a great triumph in the cause of
| law and order, VIII lead 10 an organization
| of law and order sOclety, which viii take
| up not only such infracuOns of the law. but
! Others and thus revive respect and public
sentiment in favor OF the enforcement OF
| the law But whether it should be so or not
| prize fighters and their hackers, whether
they be more or less famous or notorious,
! may take notice that no more contests Will
be allowed in the city OF St. Paul"
You had deal to contend with did you
| not. MIR. Cochrane, with political rings and
! combinations formed for the allied crimes of
| gambling in all its phases?"
Mr.. COchrane-Ne had everything to con-
| tend with; in the first place, The sporting
! element of the city. which is here unusually
strong because allied with and protected by
| the political ring which runs our city govern
ment; then the city authorities to contend
with, which had early in the matter given its
| pledge that
Protection Should Re Afforded,
! and that the fight could 90 on at al hazards
| The time was also exceedingly prOpitiOus for
| the other side. because the Twin City Jockey
| club races were to open on the day on III:
! evening of which the fight was to take place
! Derby DAY rs it is called-and because the
! gambler who was backing the prize fight wa;
/ also one of the influential officers of the
/ Jockey club, in whose directory he is. unfOr
tunately associated with some of our bes
! citizens. We had. also, the press to contend
! with. An examination of the papers during
the last few weeks viii show that they
MIST have been i'll receipt of thou
| sands of dollars for advertising the
races, and very naturally they would
| be reluctant 10 denOunce the prize
! fight when il was Going on under the same
! management, at least in as far as Frank
| Shaws connection with it was concerned.
| Besides this. the managing editors of both
| morning journals were officers of the athletic
| club. whose timely organization and incor
| pOratiOn were almost eoincident with the
| agreement entered into between it and the
! prize fighters by which it became
Sponsor for the Event,
and in every way officially and legally re-
| sponsible for its occurrence. Finally, and
perhaps the greatest obstacle Of all, was the
condition of public sentiment benumbed by
having seen for a long while law violated
] without protest. and thus having become in
! different as well as discouraged"
How do you account Mr. Cochran. fol-
/ the affinity between virtue and vice as per
J sonifed by the mixed following of the man
/ agement of the fight:'
! because the manager is man of I'M
! doubted talent and shrewdness and has
1 played his cards with great skill l have
! reason. personally, to know that some of the
city authorities have befriended him in pre-
/ betting house and gambling headquarters
/ known as the fremont Exchange, shut
| inaSmuch as 1t Is open from day to day
! and run without cOncealment or disguise
and inasmuch as he is an attractive man
| personally and has a large acquaintance
| among the young men OF the city, and with
| all our city officials and aldermen, q certain
| class of the public has come to regard him as
an entirely reputable citizen whose business
! was upon the same plan as that OF other good
| citizens The poison is insidious and slow
working but it has spread through the com
munity until it has come to this. namely
that you have even to argue with some OF
our best citizens thatitis
Not Quite Decent
and respectable to be connected with a gam
| bier in any business enterprise
Have you formed permanent organiza
! ton for the preservation of the law as it af
| fects this particular breachE'
I'VE have not; as far as determined upoT
| our future course of proceedings is to be a.
| follows: We propose TO hold another mas
| meeting at Market hall Monday night next
! At that time an address will be presented re
| viewing the facts and setting forth i'll thei
| true light those of our citizens and official;
| who have sTrayed themselves on the tide OF
| lawlessness, and closing with a recommends
ton that law and order league shall De or
ganized. A plan for such will be submitted
at the same meeting.
s'The managers of the Hall FitZsimmons
obscure enactment was sprung upon them q
the eleventh hour. How is this?'
Mr.. Cochran answered: Instead of 1this
being the case, the committee believes that q
| prominent lawyer who was early. connected
| with the business. indeed before the con
! tract was drawn, informed the managers o.
the athletic club that by the execution o.
! this contract they were violating the law
which he showed them, calling their especia
| attention to this statute OF 1889, which ha.
| been called an obscure and unknown law.
might further add. to show how all regard
! for law
Had Been OverthrOWn,
that at meeting when it was finally decided
to declare the fight off. the management or
| dered Sheriff Bean to arrest the participants
| 10 carry them before jury who should bt
agreed upon, allow them to give bail, anC
then allow the fight to proceed. When the
| attorney of the sheriff said that that would
cause his immediate removal from office, the
management replied: Well we will arrange
| with the county commissioners to continue
his salary until the next election, and Their
| put him triumphantly back again
why was Mayor Smith arrayed against
you and your associates in this matter?''
Mayor Smith has never shown himself in
| favor of the enforcement of any law which
! seems to have morality as its particular basis
l was one of a committee of citizens tha
| wenttO Mayor Smith and asked him TO close
! the saloons on Sunday, simply in accordance
with the ordinance Of the city, not even in
vOking the more strict state statutes. Mayor
Smith absolutely refused to do this, and
openly declared
That He Would Not.
] was also a member of another committee
that went to his honor with the request tina
base ball playing should be prevented Oh
Sunday, but he absolutely refused to inter
fere. Another committee requested him t
exercise his power over Sunday theaters
| hUe q nt1r
ing the present mayoralty houses of i'll
fame have been run upan the 'wide-open
policy. 1t is currently reported that mem
bers of the detective force are partners il
gambling houses. and rent their property TO
The most Illicit purposes. Never before wert
there so many rooms rented out in business
blocks for illegal and immoral purposes, ant
| can point out TO you not only occasional