St. Paul daily globe., 1896-04-09
PAGES FROM THE RECORD.

EXMayor Wright is one of the
many gentlemen who have cause to
pray for deliverance from their
friends. But for the exuberance Of the
Pioneer Press the public would prob
ably have been content to let the
period of his administration OF mu-
nicipal affairs remain quietly in the
oblivion of the past. Capt Castle,
however, in his search for the
nomination, threw some reflections
upon the genuineness of the Re-.
publioanism Of Mayor Wrights ad-
ministration. The Pioneer Press, com
ing to the rescue, lauds it as one of
the most admirable periods of gov
ernment that this city has ever expert
enced, and points out several particu-
lars in which it is said to have inau-
gurated wonderful reforms. Since the
comparison has been publicly made
between this administration Of Mayor
Wright-as to whose Republicanism we
may leave his friends to decide-and
that of Democrats before and after
him, 1t is only fair to refresh the
public memory with certain facts, and
to state certain others not so gem
orally known which will be found in
an article in our local columns.
The principal contentious Of the
Pioneer Press are that under Mayor
Wrights administration reforms were
completed in the matter of establish
Ing police records, suppressing gam
bling, excluding politicians from the
police force, and closing saloons on
Sunday. AS the facts appear else
where, it is shown that onlv anoJo-
glsts who are more rash than judi
clous would have raised these oues-
tions for public consideration. The
fact is disclosed that the police records.
which were established after Mr.
Wrlghts Inauguration, were discon-
tinued and neglected within six months
thereafter, and remained in that
condition of 'innocuous desuetude."
There is only one shining execution
The captains book at the central sta
ton, which contains the records of stol-
en- property and of the more serious
crimes, has disappeared. What has
become OF that record no one is able to
say. Its absence, however, under the
circumstances, leaves that admins
tration open to every charge which il
advanced against its predecessor on
Of
records. 1t carries with it a reflection
even more serious than that. To keen
no records might be a mere matter of
neglect; to keep a record and after-
"drd olspose of it in some mysterious
manner argues a reason for so doing
upon which the people must put their
own construction.
In the matter Of gambling +baro
seems to have been little to choose be-
tween the various administrations
one point, however, is certainly we'll
taken. With the possible exception Of
the pool rooms, which if raouiros
legislative action to exterminate, there
mas never been any gambling in this
town one-half as pernicious and pom
eral in its effects as the settino. IN
OF several hundred nickel-in-tbe-sIo+
machines in hotels, bar rooms and
other public places. These were kin
dergartens in which both old and
young, down almost to the limit of
infancy began to acquire the habit of
risktng something on a ganhlirc
chance. They drew boys in shoals -
the saloons. Crowds gathered about
them everywhere, and the gamblina
passion was disseminated in soil
where it would grow most luxurious1y
and produce most disastrous fruit
The administration of Mayor Wright
saw 800 of these machines intro
duced; and they were suppressed and
ordered out of the city, and have ever
since remained shut out by the orders
Of Mayor Smith. Whatever may have
been the influences that at first secured
Immunity for these machines, the facts
of their introduction and prohibition
are unquestioned.
1t was folly to raise the question Of
the open-Sunday saloon, and the OPEN
ill-night saloon before any man who
lived in this city during the admins
tration OF Mayor Wright. AS all know,
there was merely the customary