St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-01-30


inspector so chose he could wink at any
amount of selling without license, and
his dereiction would be undiscovered.
1t has not been his practice. hitherto,
to require the public posting OF each
license in the place where business is
carried OH, as required both by local or
dinance and by the general law. Prac-
tically, the entire management OF the
liquor-sellng business
Isin His Hands,
without proper or necessary supervision.
Second. The issue of licenses is made
without regard to the provisions lala
down in the law. When an applicant
for license has made his application.
when it has been approved by the couil-
ell committee Oh licenses, when publ
cation has been made for the required
time. and when he has paid his fee and
filed his bond, license is, we are in
formed, issued to him without farther
question. The state law provides that
no license shall be granted to any per-
son who. within the preceding twelve
months has been convicted of any OF
Tense against any ordinance of the city
Or any law of the state regulating the
sale of Intoxicating liquors. This pro
vision is openly violated; and among
those regularly licensed Tor the year
1899 appear the names OF several per-
sons, who. by the court records, were
convicted and fined in the municipal
court during 1889 for breaking the law.
Third. The law prohibiting sale after
midnight has been, we understand, very
generally ignored. Several convictions
for this offense were had i'll 1889. Since
that time the offenSe has been over
looked or condoned.
Iox al CQinnnS
the Sabbath day is dead letter. Al
though equally valid with all other sec
tions, this clause is violated deliberately
and universally. The authorities can
enforce this and every other provision
if they please; they wilfully neglect Or
refuse to do SO.
Fifth. The illegal permission accord
ed to saloonkeepers to continue In buSl-
ness an indefinite term before paying
their licenses OH q mere assurance that
they intend to do SO when it is convent
eht, constitutes in the opinion OF this
body, very grave offenSe on the part
of the city authorities. 1t has become
custom for the city council to extend, by
resolution, the time for payment of
license fees from the 1St Of January to
the 1st of February. This action is,
we believe, without warrant of law.
official favortism to class of persons
who have no such claim to exception.
But, in addition to this, it has become
the practice to permit the sale of liquor
in unlicensed saloons to continue after
the 1st of February until the proprle-
tors find it convenient, or until they de-
eide that the business is not ftourlShlng
and leave it. In the former case the
city loses the use of and interest upon
large amount OF money. In the latter
it is defrauded of the whole license fee.
The records show that there were 292
licenses to SellintoXicating liquor issued
in the year 1890. Not one of these fees
was paid on the 1st of January. when
legally due. Before Feb. l, the date OF
extension by the council, l02 fees were
paid in. There were paid during the
year fifteen fees On the same date When
the license was issued, and thirteen fees
bearing date earlier than that of the
| license. Five licenses are returned in
the list furnished by the city clerk with
out any date. Deducting the sum OF
these, we have PSI licenses the fees for
which were paid in after Feb. l, and
after BUSINESS had been
Carried on without License
for periods ranging from one to more
fees paid during the month of january
the total number of delinquentS under
the law is $50. This amounts to Seri-
Gus abuse, and imposes pecuniary loss
upon the city. This license money be-
longs in the city treasury from the day
when the liquor is sold. 1t remains in
the till of the Saloonkeeper. And mean
time Straitened treasury is issuing
certificates of Indebtedness, bearing
per cent interest, to obtain necessary
funds. By computing the total delin-
quencieS in license payments during
1880 it is found that the city lost the
equivalent of the use of 1000 Tor, in
round numbers, $4,000 days. This, at 7
per cent, amounts to over $2,300-a pure
gratuity to the saloon interest. Nor
does this amount begin to measure the
loss occasioned by the absence of money
from the treasury at time when it is
needed; and by the going out of bust
ness of those who, having sold fora time
without license and finding it unprofit-
able, close their establishments and
never pay any fee whatever. 1t has
been shown, by evidence brought be-
fore this body. that it is possible to sell
liquor in this city for nine or ten months
without procuring a license.
The sale of Intoxicating liquors should
stand, in the eyes of the executors of
the law. on the same basis as other
kinds of business. 1t should receive
neither persecution nor illegal exemp
| ton from its just burdens. Every law
relating TO it can be enforced whenever
| the authorities SO desire. The follow
| ing is a part of the state law now III
| force:
| .'If any county commissioner or men,
| n t,n
/ body of any city. village or other mu-
| nicipal corporation in this state, or any
mayor of any city, any judge, sheriff,
| Justice of the peace, constable or other
1 officer willfully neglectS or refuses to
| perform any duty required of him by
4 the laws regulating the liquor traffic Or
1 the issue of licenses therefor, he shall
| be deemed guilty of a malfeaSance in
office, and shall thereafter be disquali-
/ fed from holding the same for and dur
| ing the remainder of the term for
which he was elected or appointed, and
| shall be liable oh his bond i'll an amount
/ of not more than $500 nor less than 500,
! recoverable in any court having jurls-
/ diction." 1t seems clear that, under
/ this section, and upon the evidence be-
/ fore this body,
Every Official of st. Paul,
| with the probable exception of the city
treasurer. who has any part in the issue
] of liquor licenses and the enforcement
4 of the laws governing the business Of
selling Intoxicating liquors could be in
| dicted. If that has not been done at
this time it is only because ola question
of what is wise policy and how far pub
lie sentiment is alive to the gravity OF
existing abuses. This body is aware
that it can rise no higherthan it's source,
the people. Itlays this evidence before
| people. 1t has proof that the laws rela-
| tive to liquor selling are not enforced,
and the testimony of those competent to
/ speak is that their enforcement is not
more difficult than that of other laws
| whose violation is not tolerated, 1t be-
lieyes that reform should be made and
1 recommends to the authorities new
and more active consideration of their
duty. Believing, however, that any Sc
Yerer measures would not be salutary
at the present time. it urges the strict
4 an forcampnt of every law with oQual