The Saint Paul globe., 1896-12-06

the G 0 b e, presumably in the interest
of the mayor. stated that he or his
representative or both were convinced
that the charges made by the G 0 e
were substantially correct; that the ad-
ministration was helpless; that its own
police and detective officers could not
be expected to furnish information
which would convict themselves, and
that, therefore, the mayor would like
to be helped out of his difficulty. The
reply of the G 0 b e was that it would
be glad to give any information that
with others. Meantime the Clio g
was given to understand from other
quarters that whatever it might say
would be used to back charge that
the whole thing was an agitation for
political purposes; a charge which we
were 10th to believe at the time, but
which the course of the Pioneer Press
seems to make credible 1t was also
intimated that any person who should
disclose any facts in the case would
find that the police force would make
life in st. Paul uncomfortable. Finally,
there Is ample reason to believe that
all that it was necessary for any mayor
to know has already been laid before
MIR. Doran. That he should not dare
to move is quite comprehensive.
We are going to supply Mayor Doran
and his apologist with a great many
more facts than they will care to hear
will prove to every citizen of ST. Paul
that never under the most lax admin
istration of the law known to this COM
munity, has vice fiourished with less in
terruption or greater complaisance on
the part of the administration than at
the present time. The condition of ST.
Paul today justifies every word that
we wrote when we said that the ad-
ministration of this city is rotten to
the core" If the mayor and the Pi-
oneer Press want specific facts, we di-
rect their attention to the list of ad-
dresses published elsewhere where pub
lie gambling is carried on through the
agency of the "nickel-in- the-slot" ma
chimes. These, as the Pioneer Press
has pointed out editorially many times
In the past, are among the most per-
nicious instruments for pandering to
the gambling instinct. The public
gambling hell is bad enough; but the
nlckel-in-the-slot machine, set up in
saloons and cigar stores, is a very kim
dergarten for the education Of gam
blers. All ages and conditions can Join
in the sport, and capital of 5 cents
will do to begin on. These debauching
machines are now run openly all over
the city,
1t was under the administration Of
Mayor Wright, complimented by the
Pioneer Press, that these machines
were domestfcated in ST. Paul. At least
one saloonkeeper declared that his re-
ceipts from them were more than he
took in over the bar No remonstrance
against them was effective They were
too well fortified by police protection.
Within three weeks after the inaugu-
ration of Mayor Smith over. $50 of these
gambling devices were removed by the
police; which is a measure of the extent
TO which the curse had spread 1t was
reported last spring during the local
campaign that the nickel-in- the-slot
machine was to come back. We did
not believe it then, Notwithstanding
the hotr06 of
marked Mr.. Dorans supporters. But
1T was true. They came back in shoals
as SOON as their friends got into power.
While the grand jury was in session
lot of them were quietly put out of
sight. Now they are in full blast, and
at every place mentioned in our local
columns this morning a representa-
tive Of the G O has seen them in
operation. There is an immense volume
OF other fact discreditable to the ad-
ministration, which a mayor both hon.
est and competent and a newspaper
more desirous of getting at the truth
than the Pioneer Press could ascertain
without help. We propose to give these
facts as they come within our knowl-
edge without fear or favor Nor shall
we be deferred by the mock anxiety
of the chief culprits about injury to the
reputation of st. Paul For neither
| her fair fame nor her business pros
perity can be served better than by
holding up to public scorn and to the
| demand for betterment the almost in
credible performances of an admins
tration which it requires return to
the age of faith in miracles to believe
only supernaturally weak and stupid,
| instead Of deliberately vicious