The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-20

OF, the mayor in ordering the keepers
of concert halls to do away with fe-,
male performers had about expressed
the views of those who were interested
in the matter The question was Of
vital importance to the welfare of the
city, and the enforcement of the
mayors orders and the ordinance, as
proposed, would receive the support
of all good citizens, as we'll as that
of saloonkeepers who have been car
rying on business in a regular way
and without the concert hall attach
ments. He thought there should be and
would be no objection to the passage Of
the proposed ordinance.
Rev. ]. ]. Lawler was of the opinion
that a very few words were needed
in favor of a measure which affected
the morals and we'll being of the city
and the young and old men, too, for
that matter. Women employed in such
places were an incentive to immoral
ity. The moral sentiment Of the COM
munity was against the employment
of women in such resorts, and, if they
could not be conducted without them,
the licenses should be revoked. This
was done in other cities under the
same law, and he saw no reason why
1t could not be done in st. Paul.
Rev. G. L. Conley thought it was
waste of words to speak to gentlemen
of such high standing as those who
constitute the committee as to the adj
Visibility Of passing such good meas
ure. He said the gentlemen consti-
tuting the Citizens league were not
wanting to prosecute or wage war on
] o1n he hof hn
league wanted to make the city a Sun
day school was also incorrect. There
was a difference of opinion as to the
saloon license question, but when 1T
came to the concert saloon matter he
was satisfied that there could be no
difference Of opinion. The selling of
liquor under restrictions was perhaps
proper. The concert saloon was, in his
opinion, the worst evil. If women were
removed from these resorts, the most
corrupt and debasing influences would
be done away with A large majority
of the community, as well as a large
majority of the saloOnkeepers, were in
favor Of the passage, of the ordinance.
He did not know how much the
mayors order meant but he had been
informed by gentlemen who had visit
ed him that he meant business, and
that the order would be enforced.
Aid. Donahower said the general i'm
preston was that all concert halls
were tough places, but this was a
mistake
Prof S. G. Innis, of the Hamline uni
Versity, said the order of the mayor
closing the concert halls and saloon
entertainments to women performers
hol 70 t6n
called cranks at Hamline. The passage
of the ordinance would simply back
up the position of the mayor regard
ing the order he had issued.
Attention was called to the injustice
the passage of the ordinance would do
to John Straka, who conducted the
TiVOli garden and had an orchestra in
I which several of his daughters took
part. Rev. Mr.. Willard said the point
had been made that the saloons
should all be treated alike and that
it would be unfair to allow one place
to have female performers and not
another.
Attorney John Ives stated that he
represented TankenOff and Straka. He
had an idea that the ordinance was
prepared to close up places like the
/ Olympic. He submitted a proposition
! to trade off by agreeing to the passage
! of the ordinance providing the league
would withdraw the objections to the
! TankenOff license being granted. This
proposition seemed to strike some of
/ the members of the license committee
! very faVOrably and the suggestion
! was made that the members of the
/ league withdraw and see if the mat
! ter could not be settled along this
! line. Rev. Mr.. Millard said he was
not prepared to say as to the PROPOSE
ton; there were only a few members
/ of the committee present and he could
! only speak for himself. William Hamm
| said the ordinance would wipe out the
! only Objectionable feature of Tanken-
| offs place and prevent the opening of
the olympic. D. w. Doty, attorney
for the league, said he failed to see
where the connection between the
granting of the license to Mrs Tank
enoff and the passage of the ordinance
came in. He appeared for four OBJ
! jectors and had secured from Judge
Kelly an order returnable this after
noon directing the council to show
! cause why the evidence in the Tanken-
off case should not be heard by the
council He suggested in the Tanken-
| off case the committee wait until the
! court had passed on the matter This
was objected to by Attorney Ives, who
! stated that the license under which
| TankenOff was doing business expired
! April 20.
/
| if the proposition was accepted by
| the league there was a question wheth-
| er the council committee could deliver
| the goods and have the ordinance pass
| ed. Attorney Ives raised the point that
! the charter gave the council no right
| to pass any such ordinance. Women,
| he said, had as much right under the
! law to perform in and visit saloons as
men, providing that they were not OBJ
| jectiOnable characters. The members
! of the league withdrew from the COM
! nittee room, and after a consultation
! returned Rev. Mr.. Willard acted as
! spokesman, and said the gentlemen had
! decided that the two matters were en-
| tirely separate. The granting of the
! TankenOff license had nothing to do
| with the passage of the ordinance pro-
| hibiting female performers from ap-
pearing in saloons, and for this reason
! it had been decided to allow each ques-
ton to stand by itself Aid Sanborn
said he saw no reason why the ordi-
nance should not be amended so as to
allow females to take part in an orches-
ira which played where liquor was
Sold as in the TivOE He thought there
was nothing demoralizipg in an orches-
! ira, whether it was IN a church or a
| saloon.
A. WeinhOlZer, proprietor of the Palm
! garden, cut in at this time, although
an effort was made by his friends to
| shut him off The ordinance was not
what he wanted, but if it treated ali
! alike he was satisfied. If Mr. Straka
was to be allowed to have his own
/ family play in his place, it would be
no more than fair to allow him a like
/ privilege. The proposed change was
! explained to the proprietor of the Palm
| garden, but he very frankly said the
ordinance giving the female performers