The record-union., 1892-01-19
Chier Drew,s Dire Ideas.

Eds. RECORD UNION: Permit me 10
say few words through your valuable
paper. Chief o. Police Drew has seen fit
10 unbosom himself to a newspaper in
explanation of his non concurrence with
the Police Commissioners and Trustees
IN the matter OF closing up certain dives
In brief, and yet with perfect fairness
to the Chief, his argument is this: That
one of the places closed was a lodging
house where poor men found rest who
were unable to go to a better place. That
men who sleep at night as a rule work by
Cay. That as to another place, only one
scrape' mad occurred in it, and in that
case the court discharged the defendants.
That the keeper Of that place is a terror.
and he IS, therefore, q better man to run
the dive than one the hoodlums do not
fear. That the closed places viii reopen
with new proprietors. That there are
other places as bad as those closed, which
go unmolested. And the Chief winds up
by saying that, while that is no argument
against closing these low places, it is not
Just that some be permitted to run while
others are closed up. Finally, it is not
inst to convict man without trial and on
the mere report of police officer.
The whole argument OF the Chief NAV
he submitted on its face, its absurdity is
its answer. The same plea he advances
would apologize for every hell-hole in the
country on the ground that they are
places Tor poor men to lodge The poor
man who chooses his company is insulted
by such excuses for dives. The place re-
ferred to by the Chief was in no sense a
clearinghouse, but a resort for the disso-
lutte idle. At latest hours of night 1t was
crowded with men drinking and smok-
ing; with fellows who pleaded guilty of
vagrahcy. and others who are confessed
criminals.
The honest poor man never seeks such
resort, and is never found in such COM
pany as conCregates there. He never
joins the gang III front Of these hell holes
10 the obstruction of the sidewalk for
women and children by reason of the
foul language used by the gang" and
the vomiting, spewing crowd propping
up the awning posts. The honest poor
man finds decent resorts or prefers the
manliness of asking the generous to aid
him. The Chief says he found a friend
only the other day out from Boston
without a Nickel" fiat broke but 1t is
unlikely that he found him loafing about
any such resorts as those under dis
cusson.
AS to the other dive, the excuse that q
terror in proprietorShip is better than
one who cannot cow the hOodlum, simply
confesses that there should be no propri-
etorShip at all. and no such resorts. and
IL
by closing Of the holes, be driven to seek
them elsewhere. To close one-half dozen
dives and leave others open is not in
justice, though it may be discrimination,
and TO prevent that is the Office of the
police. II ali that are equally bad are not
shut up it is not the fault of the people,
but of the authorities, who cannot plead
their own neglect in defense of their
laches. X.
Where to Hold Our Next Citrus Fair.
EDS. RECORD UNION: One year ago /
addressed you a communication favoring
the holding Of citrus fairs in Eastern
cities Since that time l have brought the
subject to the minds of great many OF
our citizens in various parts of the State,
and l have yet to find a dissenting opin-
ion.
We have not a resident of this State but
knows that we can produce the golden
fruit in any of our valleys. bat it is the
Eastern friend we wish 10 educate. Such
q fair as Just held III Auburn if held. say
in Minneapolis. would be good for at least
500 immigrants. | was talking only
this week with couple Of very intelli-
rent gentlemen from Wisconsin, who are
out Visiting our state. They declared
they were not aware we could produce
citrus fruit in this part of the State. and
would not have believed it had they not
seen them with their own eyes. This
corroborates what / here suggest-that
such an object lesson would be more
convincing to our Eastern brethren than
all the advertising matter we could send
them.
Ny idea would be to have a State Citrus
Fair, held under the auspices OF the State
Agricultural Society. having all parts OF
our State represented, in Eastern cites
one year at New York. another year 1t
Minneapolis, and so or. By that way all
portions Of the Eastern States would have
an object lesson they could not eontro-
vert, and would tend more to attract
immigration than anything we could do.
They could be made self-sustaiuing. II
necessary, by charging j small admit
lance fee, If the expense was in the way.
But I 90 not think our State could make
an appropriation that would bring greater
results, and could well afford TO have the
exhibit a free one. think our Board Of