The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-03-07
RLAMES THE MAYOR.
Rev. Mr. HambIy Says Logically He's
the Responsible Head.

Rev Thomas Hambly, of the Clinton
Avenue church, in the prelude to his
sermon. said:
Let me repeat what l have stated again
and again, that st. Paul for its size, is
well governed city. That any ones safety
IS secured in any part of this city, in any
hour of the day or night. That our police
force IS efficient prompt. courteous. and
intelligent to quite a superior degree. They
are, however, under the ban of the liquor
clement. as all police forces are.
They are paid 10 enforce law, and do;
excepting when their duty conflicts with the
saloon keeper, the brewer and the bawdy
house conductor. Then they simply are a
committee the whole TO study how to
protect the involved interests of this united
unbroAen phalanX of law breakers
the only elements that are un-Amercan
and dastdrdy in every feature of study and
action And yet who blame a police
mani He dare not raise a club nor make
an arrest without first consulting the chief,
who gets his orders direct from the mayor
Logically. all lawlessness. disorder and
fragrant immortality can oe laid to the mayor
who sits like q nabob and is absolute in all
things and moves at the volitions of his
own Will If that Will is stubborn it means
volumes to the voter one way or the other
1t is rather amusing that, after two years
OF office and constant complaint against
these dives and sinks of iniquity, made by
the best citizens of this place. and through
a properly organized channel, the authorities
are just beginning to move.
ne CnleI, VINO mas Deen as silent as a
Ilindoo fakir, has suddenly broken forth
into artlculate tones concerning these places,
and says that they ought to be and shall
be closed The mayor leaves his busy office
and goes around to inform himself of their
frightful condition, respecting which he has
been in feigEed ignorance long.
And il really does seem that on the eve
of election We are going TO have reforms
inaugurated. Surely it is time A leading
member of the Citizens league is RESPONSE
BILE for the statement that members of our
city government visit these places, not for
the purpose of satisfying themselves as to
the propriety of their existence, but for
other purposes foreign TO public duty. Those
who have investigated the conditions of
our city are satisfied that only a small per-
centage of the personnel of our city govern
ment are worthy of the renewal of the
confidence OF the voter.
The lessons of the past of this and other
cities teach US that in civic elections men
should not attach themselves strictly to
party, but vote for the very best candi-
dates of all tickets. If a cutting and slash
ing process could be adopted for few years
the 'hoodlum,' 'cut-throat," Farmer
q JONES' whisky soaked" "wlde-open
policy" men could not be thrown upon our
political breakfast plate for digestion.
1t is an easy thing for us to criticise pub
lie men in public office, and claim that they
are not doing right, proposition that
needs no argumentative support, but the
moral weaknesses shown in civic administra-
Nlcil9 die ldl SciS ONIhS W VI cur
ageous support given by those who desire
better government. For various reasons,
some commercial, some social and some
political. the very men who should stand
by mayor in the pursuance of a vigorous
policy willingly play the eel act and
leave the chief administrator to his own
resources and unless he has a reserve
power vastly greater than they who elect
him. he finds himself in an inextricable
bog; to disembarrass himself he continu-
ally looks around for help. and that which
responds in a time of emergency is the
kind that is on hand twelve months in the
year. and not only bare-armed for one
week before election.
Christian men and women, we should in
terest ourselves in public matters the whole
year around and give a moral strength to
public enterprise that will insure an i'm
provement In civic conditions