The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1893-06-09
MANKATo FREE PRESS.
FRIDAY. JUNE 9, 1898.
THE MAYORS VETO.

license shall after Jan. l. 1894, De
raised to 81, 900. He gives the follow
ing reasons: Firstly, and to him most
important, $500 is enough; secondly,
in two years the amount of the license
will be raised to 81 900 by the result of
the state census: thirdly, the saloon
keepers ought to have two years to
prepare for the change; fourthly, the
mayor believes that the raising of the
license will reduce the revenue by
from $4,000 to S., 600: filthy, twenty
saloon keepers will be driven out OF
business, which will make 30 vacant
stores in the city, and proposed new
buildings would not be erected. The
MAYOR then makes these remarkable
statements: "The stringency in the
monetary market is great anG there
seems to be no prospect for a better
condition soon We cannot now con-
duct some business here because funds
cannot be obtained, hence hundreds
are unemployed. The effect of this
increase of license will in my judg-
ment be felt by the city in the appli-
cations now before the council for
consideration, as. if they are to be
taxed out of existence in 1894, just
one year before the state law fixes the
amount, they may conclude to 60 out
in 1898"
The people are left in the dark as
to what this "o0me business" is. 1t
would be interesting to know what 1t
is.It is also handsome advertisement
of the city and one which every pro-
perty owner apd business man must
appreciate, for the mayor to assert
that hundreds of our people are I'M
employed. Anyone living in this city
and not constantly on the road knows
that this statement is utterly with
out foundation and that its effect
will be highly injurious to the city.
Every man who will work can easily
obtain employment, aud instead OF
hundreds being unemployed" there
are not enough wOrkmen in our city
to properly run our Quarries and fac
tories.
The mayor doubtless has other
reasons than those above stated for
VetOing the resolution. 1t appears
very much as though he was carrying
out his part of the deal by which he
was elected. He is standing Loyalty
by those who stood by him during the
municipal campaign, and is doing
just what was expected of him. He
was elected by the saloon influence
and has taken a firm stand by the
side Of the saloons.
The FREE PRESS has no particu-
lar interest in the success or
failure of the resolution. 1t is
willing to abide by the decision of the
council in the matter, whatever it
may be. The resolution was carried
by sufficient vote TO pass it over the
mayors veto. We believe that the
revenues will be increased by the
higher license, as experience has
shown both in this and other cities,
and we consider this the main argu-
meut in favor of the change. The
question has two sides and the rights
of all concerned should be considered.
1t should be decided upon it's merits
and not by the rule of ante-election
promises.
The Weaver organ comes out square
ly in favor of the saloons, as was to
be expected, and attempts in it's
stumbling way to bolster up the may
Or'S veto. In so doing it grossly in
suits every man who signed the petit
tion eighty of our best citizens) as
well as the four members of the coun-
Gil who voted for the resolution. 1t
calls them ''a small faction of puny
politicians" who ''have had their
heads together and by means of
swap it was agreed to reconsider the
Byron, Pleasant and Fulton street
sewers, in return for which the screws
were to be put to the saloon men to
crafty a prejudice entertained by
these fanatics against class of men
who have been citizens of Mankato
much longer than they"
These ''puny politicians" and "fan-
atics Ibid not accept the attempted
dictation of the ReUieoo in this matter
and are consequently subjected to it's
vilest abuse. They are but undergo
ing the same experience which others
have received from the same source. |
The further insult to Aids. Higgs,
Bashaw, Pitcher and Widell was as
uncalled for as it is unjuStifiable. |
Their policy is not marked out for
them" nor their action directed by |
beck and nod" "The wise statesmen |
constituting the memorable four who
make up the majority of the councir'
are each one of them the peers in in
telligence and certainly the superiors
in gentlemanly consideration of the
writer of the editorial in the saloon
organ.
1t is needless to say that the swap"