The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-25


liquors are furnished to such characters,
male and female. as may visit these rooms
and that the nightly debaucheries carried
on In them equal. Il they do not exceed
those which made the Murphy place In
famous. 1t is evident to us that this place
is under police protection.
We also call attention to the fact that
the city government utterly fails to give
immunity from the liquor traffic to those
portions of the city in which liquor cannot
be lawfully sold. The blind pig is sell
dom molested by the city police Our po-
lice system, which IS quite efficient in the
matter Of hunting up thieves and stolen
property, Is stupidity Unconscious Of liquor
dens which annoy whole neighborhoods.
NotnlnS can be more evident than the in
disposition OF the police to suppress the
blind pigs
We could do something however against
the blind pigs" and other violations Of
would do their duty. But the prosecution
OF lawless liquor dealers Is practically null
flied by the neglect Of the judges to pun
fsh adequately those who are convicted
When private citizens, at great expense to
themselves. have secured the conviction Of
criminal, the judge lets him of with a
paltry fine. In one instance. when a man
was convicted Of violating the law, the
judge was asked to revoke the Dealers
license as the law expressly required him
to do. This conviction occurred in April.
The law clearly and. explicitly required
the judge to revoke the license, leaving
him no option in the matter at all. The
Judge finally revoked the license on the
Slst day of December following. the very
last day Of the period for which the license
was granted. How could the judge have
proved more conclusively his disposition
TO nullify the law in the interests of Grim
inaIs.
Girls I'm the TfvOIi.
A member of the assembly not long since
remarked to a member of this committee
that to his personal knowledge girls in the
TfVoii go into private rooms with men whom
they solicit to buy beer. Our mayor not
long ordered that women should be forbid
den to perform in places of that character
or where liquors are sold, and yet the Palm
Garden, to the possible knowledge of our
administration and police force. continues
order. The method OF procedure there is as
follows: You buy a ticket of admission,
paying for 1t fifteen cents. This ticket is
stamped as good only on day of SALE Three
coupons are attached and are redeemable
In the theater annex. If you are uninitiated
you may think that these coupons assure
o. OF reserve seats. The help of the electric
light, however, reveals your coupons to be
good for glass Of beer or cigar each. On
entering the room you find a stage in one
corner. On one occasion 40 men were sit
ting at tables. two OF them being Uncle
SANS defenders from Fort Smelling two
fuli-grown women and little, curly, flax
en-hafred boy. Among the audience were to
be seen number Of beardless youths Beer
was being sold by the redemption of the
coupons in the very room where the per-
formance was being carried on.
at the Olympic.
The Olympic runs wine rooms under the
stage. Women are not allowed to solicit
men on the first floor. but may, and do. in
the gallery and boxes. The men are very
urgently invited to go with them to the
wine rooms. All this in clear violation of
the law. We do not hesitate to characterize
this whole institution as a damnable shame
It's rottenness prohibits our describing it in
pubic print 1t is vile stencil in the
nostrils of decent people, and ought never
to have been permitted to throw open it's
doors to debauch the manhood and woman
hood of our city. It's corruptness has been
shown a number of times, and yet with
an unholy pers1stency our authorities have
permitted it to carry on business. Any one
acquainted at all with the surroundings
knows that no man can run that place on
a business basis without a house Of prosti-
tuition annex, he must have the assistance
OF immoral women This much has been
admitted by one of the propretors. In this
internal place men are to be seen night
after night: not even excluding the holy
Sabbath, listening to songs of extreme filth
ness, witnessing performances nowhere else
tolerated except in houses of prostitution.
There scenes are behind which tend only to
befoul and corrupt the mind. So immoral
are some of these performances that no
newspaper in our country would dare to
publish a just description of them. After
having witnessed them one feels like pray
ing that he might be thrown under some
mighty Niagara that could by its waters
roar remove forever the stuff from memory.
Our police department cannot. or at least
ought not be ignorant of such a terrible
state Of affairs.
Police as Signals.
They not only connive at such violation OF
law. but deliberately warn the management
Of such places Of any contemplated investi-
warned to get out, because raid on their
place Of business is contemplated. Your
committee are of the opinion that such
condition ought not to exist, and that 1t
will not if the righteousness sentiment of
our municipality will take to heart cur
city's good. We are Of the opinion that
our city government should not be turned
over to the grossly immoral and liquor in
terests of the city; that city officials
should not be allowed to play into the
purpose is to make money by the corrup-
ton of the public morals. We are Of the
further opinion that now is the time to
strike blow for good government by law
enforcement by arousing the Christian SEN
timert of our city and uniting that senti-
ment in an effort to secure official honesty
and civic Righteousness. We believe it to
be the duty of Christian men in our city
to worship God. not only in their homes
and churches but to actively array them
selves against all municipal corruption and
TO idDOF Z6dlOuSly IOr the DuTi0CdtlOn of
our municipal politics. There can be no
doubt that there is very healthy senti-
ment with many people in favor Of a better
enforcement of the Jaw. This sentiment
must be united To have any permanent
value 1t must become active in party co1n-
ellis and at the ballot box. This sentiment
requires proper direction. There are doubt
less many good men in our city who de-
plore the existence and lawlessness of these
corrupting influences.
Duty of the Hour.
Many of this class are not protesting
Christians. They realize the absolute ne
cess3ty fer doing something To many the
duty Of the hour is plain, but the manner
of doing their duty is not clear. To us it
is plain that a wise leadership could amags
this sentiment and make it nightly efrec-
tive for law enforcement and good govern
ment. We Believe that the clergy are the
natural leaders in movement of this kind
and that a vigorous presentation of the
case may result In uGifyiHg of the forces
of righteousness. The history Of the past
has demonstrated that Gods minister's can
lead Gods people to victory. We certainly
have not wholly lost faith in our religious
constituencies, and believe that again they
can be led up to the help of our God
against the mighty. Many Of our people do
not for many reasons give these questions
much thought. Their time Is occupied
with other things. A vigorous presenta-
ton and representation from the pulpfts of
than any other agency at our command.
Let our administration and our liquor
league politicians know that our Christian
people are in earnest for good government
and the former will enforce the law and
the latter will take back seats. We do not
wish to be understood as ccRjemning our
police force individuals. There are
doubtless good men On the force who would
gladly do their whole duty, but who lack
authority to do 1t. We are confident that
if CUT officials are made to feel the pres