The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-14
GOVERNMENT BY BRUTEs.

The Glob has waited, deliberately
and Intentionally until a hearing could
be had upon the arrest and brutal
treatment of reputable citizens, before
expressing its opinion and the opinion
of all decent people in st. Paul. 1t has
done this for two reasons; first, because
the episode is not uncommon, but only
a repetition of what has been occur
ring ever since this brutal coWardly
and. loathesome local administration
came into power; and, second, because
it was determined not to give room for
the accusation that it's structures were
dictated by party opinion or published
for political effect We have kept 81
lence and afforded to the guilty persons
opportunity to resign, and TO the mayor
opportunity to remove them, without
pleading the baby act, as they are &C
customed to do by asserting that the
exposure of their villainies was a par
t1san move and that they would not
act under fire. Now the affair is COM
pleted, no punishment has been offered
to the guilty or reparation to the in
nocent, and the administration of the
so-called government of st. Paul can
be held up to the eXecration that it de-
serves.
The facts, related fully in our news
reports at the time, are stated again
this morning in our local columns, in
reporting the interview had yesterday
with the lump of base clay, uniform
ed by a spark of manhood, that occu-
pies the mayors office. These facts
are that, on Friday evening, two well
known gentlemen, of high standing and
unblemished character, were arrested
on Sixth street. in front of the Metro
politan opera house, by a police officer.
They were waiting for a few minutes
the return Of their wives. who had ell
tered the building. The officer took
them in charge as crooks and pick
pockets although he did not even deign
to state that much to them. He simply
arrested them; and, when one of them.
claiming the common right of every
the charge against him, demonstrated,
he was brutally assaulted. The men
were then hailed to the nearest patrol
box, to await the coming of the police
wagon. There they were recognized by
friend, who asked what the matter
was and assured the officer that he
knew them and could bring abundant
Identification. He was told that they
were notorious characters and repealed
with foul and profane language An
other friend, less fortunate who offer
ed to procure Identification and bail.
was also assaulted, and struck first by
a cane, and then by the fist of the Of
ficer. The men were submitted to the
indignity of ride in the patrol wagon,
were searched at the central station
and were locked up in cells 1t was
with the utmost difficulty that any
body could obtain access to them or
that their friends could get them re-
leased on bail. All these facts are ad-
mitted, the men are discharged, and
the details are presented to the mayor.
He simply acknowledges a mistake,
makes no apology, declares that the
officer in question is too valuable to be
punished as he deserves, and that IS
the end of it as far as he is concerned.
Coarse clod that he is it is only some
thing in the ordinary course of business
to him.
1t is not the end of it as far as the
people are concerned. No more afro
cious outrage was ever committed I'M
der the rule of despot than this. The
error, if error it was, is made unpar-
donable by the refusal of the police Of
iicers to rectify it when opportunity
was offered. They must have a chance
first to crafty their appetites for club
bling and pounding. They must offer
every irdignity to their victims; and
then they will pass IN, without nun
ishncnt. to their next pasrme. Under
no other administration ever known to
this city, under none known in the civ
ilized world. can such things as this