The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-12
SALOON EVIL CONDEMNED
ROUNDLY AT A BIG MEETING OF
THE CHRISTIAN CITIZENSHIP
LEAGUE.
On the Evils of Observation-Disclosures
in Modern municipalities Re-
speeding Certain Evils.

gathered together yesterday afternoon
to comfortably fill the spacious First
Baptist church, on Ninth street.
1t was a public meeting Of the league,
which was organized in November, 1885,
at Christ church, and upon the plat
form were the president, DR.. w. B.
Willard; John Day Smith, the we'll
known Minneapolis attorney, and an
active worker for good citizenship;
Rev. J. W. Conley and David Morgan.
! Perhaps the most interesting feature
of the meeting was the recital by Dr.
Willard Of written statement made
! by Hon. c. D. O'Brien formerly mayor
| of st. Paul, in which the lastnamed
gives practically for the first time his
views on the subject Of how best to
administer the affairs of a modern
city, the regulation of ever present
! evils, and also sets forth in manner
| a defense against the insinuatiOnS that
| he was politically ambitious and con-
! tains his conviction that his policy was
! the only right and honorable one and
! one which, if he were ever forced to
serve again, he would put in effect
In the statement Mr.. O'Brien says he
! will never again seek any public office
at the hands of his fellow citizens.
After the church quartette had sung
an anthem, Rev. J. w Conley made
the opening prayer, after which DR..
Willard was introduced.
DR.. Millard read from a statement
prepared by G. D. O'Brien something
| of the latter's experience in attempt
! ing to enforce the laws of the city dur
! ing the time he was it's chief executive.
! In this statement Mr.. O'Brien refers to
| the existence, then as now Of the evils
which the authorities found most diff
cult to put down He dwelt on the
| immunity promised to those rvl'J car
ried on and encOura cd gaming and the
| socia1 avil Ind found that the steps
tab IN proceeding against them
/ amounted to a farce He related the
policy which he inaugurated upon be-
! ing elected mayor, and told something
of events incident to the closing up of
the gambling joints and houses of pros
! titutlOn. The public, he said, seemed
at first perpleXed, then amused and
then curious as to the motives which
prompted this policy. He was he
said, accused of political ambition, and
! his fellow men appeared pleased when
/ his term was at end. Since the expir-
alton Of his term the social evil has
been revived and allowed full and ade-
] quate police protection.
Although his policy was not con-
! CURED in by either prosecuting officer
! but was carried out solely by means
! OF the police department, Mr. O'Brien
| says that the records for the two years
| following his term as mayor make him
! feel that his views as to the best and
| mo nf OBJ ,ie
| tering the affairs of a modern city,
while apparently not meeting the APP
prevail Of his fellow citizens, were yet
! the right views and, he adds that his
| experience led him to a determination
never again to seek, solicit or accept
public office in the city for which
| he cherishes such feelings of love and
kindness. He adds, significantly, in
| conclusion, that if by any possibility
! he should again be forced or per-
suaded to administer the office, he
| would do it precisely in the same
method and upon the same principles
| as before.
He pointed out the record, now ex-
tant, would show that as a result Of
! the putting in effect Of laws on the
| books, without undue notoriety, there
had been during the period subse-
quent to his administration no homi-
cides no assaults upon females, and
use of intoxicating liquor. DR. Willard
introduced John Day Smith, the Min
| neapOliS attorney. who, as a member
of the Calvary Baptist church, is in
the front rank of workers for good
citizenship In his opening remarks
| Mr.. Smith said it gave him much pleas
ure to listen to the expression of views
| of a brave conscientious man, who at
tempted not to dictate the law, but 10
have others as amenable to its pro-
visions as he himself was
A dozen or more years ago, he said
he had stood upon this same platform
| al Sunday school meeting, undecided
as to where to put down his tent
stakes. He decided in favor of Min
neapolis, owing to the notion that her
laws were better planned and more
faithfully executed. 1t must be known
| that the patrol limits in the Flour CITY
| confined the saloon territory to a small
! part of the city, and near its heart
An effort was made annually by some
persons to enlarge this territory, but
such efforts were stoutly resisted. He,
| if he had his way, would reduce this
! territory to the ground one man need
| ed to stand upon. He did not want
school girls and boys to smell the
fumes of liquor and hear the bias
phemous language coming from saloons
while going to and from school,
He paid his respects to the city Off
GERS Of Minneapolis, who, he said, were
sent during the campaign to the Eari
| Gus Offices and now there was talk o.
sending them to the penitentiary. The
mayor, when asked by good citizens to
close the saloons on Sunday, laughed
in the faces Of the petitioners, and said
that even the church people didn't ask
| that All he wanted was the enforce
ment Of the city ordinances. He did
not propose to advocate cruSades, he
simply wanted the mayor to permit
his police officers to put in effect the
laws which the citizens had declared
they wanted. Mr.. Smith said he and
his fellow citizens were given the I'D
reply, that actions against saloons and
gaming houses would keep capital
from coming to the city, but that he
did not believe it was good reason 10
keep ones ears closed and conscience
scared so as to encourage the coming
in of immigrants. The liquor trouble.
in spite of the alleged policy of Mime
apolls to do the greatest good to the
greatest number, was overcome 10
ing from those who sold intoxlcatinc
liquor bonds signed by real mer. who
might be proceeded against in cases
of violation Of law. This rolicy. which
was declared by one mayor, who had
debauched the sentiment in MinaesSp-
oils more than any other ten mayors,
was that if the Minneapolis saloons
We're closed the residents would come
to st. Paul to get their whisky Mr.
Smith said st. Paul was welcome to
all men who came here to spend Their
money to buy liquor with which 10 get
drunk. The good citizens had suceead-