The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-02
MAYOR DORAN's OPINION OF THE
ACTION OF THOSE ASSEMBLY,
MEN
WHO WOULD CLOSE SALOONS.
CITY HAS THEIR MONEY AND THEY
COULD HARDLY BE SHUT
UP.
His Honor Put i'm n Position Where
He Had to Fish or Cut
Bait.

The fifteen saloons, the licenses Of
which expired on Dec. 81, were not
closed yesterday The mayor was not
so technical as the assembly, which, in
delaying formal action on fifteen of the
applications, put his honor in a tight
place. But, Notwithstanding the be-
havior of the assembly, the mayor, with
an eye to his political future, came to
the conclusion yesterday that there was
such thing as being too technical and
enforcing the letter Of the law too
strictly.
Accordingly he called in Mr.. Maloney,
the license inspector, and suggested
that because there happened to be
few solons whose duty it was to sit in
judgment on saloon licenses, it did not
follow that the administration should
be held responsible for their short
sighted action.
License Inspector Maloney nodded
sagely at his honor's suggestion and
withdrew. The fact that these saloons
were not closed, or even visited by the
license inspector would indicate that
Mr.. MalOney was strictly next"
Each of the fifteen saloonkeepers
whose applications have not been for
mally acted upon by the assembly has
deposited $1,000 with the city treasurer
and has a receipt for the same. But
that is all. Technically not one of them
can open his place and transact bust
ness until his license Is granted and
posted on the wall of his saloon. But
technicalities were ignored, as there
was no fear of prosecution.
Why shouldn't they keep open?' in
OlliFQd A Assistant G0rnnro
Oppenheim yesterday. what Jury
would convict a man of selling liquor
without license after he had deposited
his $1,000 in the city treasury and moth
ing was wanting but the formal grant
ing Of the license?"
Assistant Corporation Attorney Phil
fps, however, said at the conference of
councilmen in the mayors office some
weeks ago that the mere fact of a sa-
loonkeeper having paid in his 81 900 and
possessing receipt therefor would :.oL
protect him from arrest, prosecution
and conviction under the law forbid
ding him to sell without license.
Mayor Doran, when seen last even
ing. said:
Il took no action today with refer
ence to the saloons whose licenses the
assembly refused to formally pass
upon. The proprietors of these sa-
looms have deposited their license fees
in the city treasury and their bonds
have been approved, and I fail to see
how the rights of the city are preiu-
diced by allowing them to remain open.
The action of the assembly was fool
ish'' @,
While the assemblymen have made
the mayor show his hand they have
not given anybody forced vacations
Are we doin' any biz said a white
aproned bartender last evening in one
OF the saloons which, according to the
assembly, was supposed to be closed
We'll, we amt workin' ourselves to
death waitin' on people, but we are
settin' UP the booze and takin' in all
the coin in sight, but It's comm very
slow. Why, my boss hustled and near
broke his neck raisin' a thousan'
plunks. He turned it into the city
and now they talk of closin' him up
until a lot Of them blokes in the coull-
Gil gets ready to give him the word to
go ahead. Say, on the square, them
never-take- a-drink boys give me an
awful pain. I s'pose they think they're
the whole thing. Well, I'll give you a
tip, they ain't I guess the old man
across the river has got the last say,
and he turned EN- down good and
hard. Some folks make fun of the
old Teller and call him a reforrner,- but
thems the blokes that never will get
on even after the buildin' falls on en-"
But suppose you are arrested to-
morrow for violating the law" queried
the G b e reporter, what will you
do them"
well, you're good" replied the
drink dispenser; "ain't I just been
tellin' you about the ones who never
seem to know where they're at till after
they get knocked out and come to-
You don't suppose we're takfn' any
chances, do you? Well, 1 should say
nit When we get the tip from the
main guy that it's all right, we keep
open, and if some of them cold water
blokes don't cut in there'H be no
trouble. You don't drink or smoke?
Well, the last car for Hamline goes
along in about minute, and you bet
ter hustle, lest you want tc walk home.'