The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1899-03-17

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relation. Why not issue license t,
each inmate?
1t has been claimed that by having
these houses the evil can be confined t.
certain sections of the city. 1t canno
be confined by this means. 1t is vel
known fact that two such houses have
been running in our city for months
perhaps for years, yet the evil is not
confined to them. The inmates are
constant visitors to some of the saloons
where they meet men, and this is an
advertisement to bring men to those
| places, which causes loss of patronage
to the other saloons. For nearly two
months complaint signed by ten OF
fifteen property holders around one of
the buildings has been pigeon-holed at
the city hail. There are furnished rooms
above saloon not very far from this
church, said Mr.. Beattie, where the
same thing is carried on
1t is an injustice to the poor people
who are obliged 70 live in the neighbor-
hood of these houses and bring up their
children there. Why should the prop
erty of the quarrymen, poor but pure
be damaged by the vicinity of such
places any more than the property of
the wealthy residents on Second and
Third streets? Isn't the poor mans
home as valuable to him. as the rich
mans home is to the latter?
1t is claimed that such places are a
necessity and must be tolerated like
other necessary evils This is an abso-
lutte lie Mr.. Beattie said that he would
like to know who were the men to
whom such places are necessity, and
invited them to stand up if there were
any such men in the church. As no
one stood up, he said that some say,
ooh, these places are needed for our
friends If there was anyone present
who wanted the places on account of
his friends, he invited him to stand
up.
AS there was no response to the invi-
tation, Mr.. Beattie, after a moments
hesitation, proceeded by declaring that
there is not man in the city, not even
the worst in the city, who would stand
up and say that these places were a
necessity to him. He pleaded for the
sacred rights of the homes of the city.
The state laws say that these
places shall not exist in this city, and
why should the minority over-rule what
the majority of the people have enacted
The legislative branch has enacted
laws and why should the judicial and
executive departments step in and say
what policy" shall be pursued? The
laws and ordinances say that no bad
houses shall exist here. yet within the
last six months complaint was made of
house by property owner who con-
sidered himself damaged by its pres
ence. No effort was made to clean out
the house, but an effort was made to
make the place less noisy and to have
the hacks go around by another road
The city attorney wrote a letter to the
party who made the complaint, saying
that if there was further cause for COM
plant he would see that the law was
enforced in regard to the place. There
are other complaints resting at the city
hall
Mr.. Beattie said that he could tell
how the liquor law has been absolutely
broken. Why have the slot machines
gone out so suddenly? He had been
told by a saloon keeper that it was be-
causej of the agitation which he had
started. Mr.. Beattie said that this was
compliment which he did not consider
that he deserved The machines had
gone on account of the approaching
election.
Mr. Beattie said that when he had
spoken to the mayor about these mat
tiers, the mayor had replied that he and
the police force did not know of the ex-
istence in the city of slot machines, bad
houses and violations of law by saloons.
Mr.. Beattie had offered, if Mr., Pau
would make this statement in the pres
ence of six men, three to be chosen by
each, to apologize publicly for his
statements and to Immediately bring
complaints against these places. The
mayor had refused absolutely to accept
the offer.
Mr. Beattie said that while he was a
temperance man and did not believe in
drinking liquor, he was not crank on
the subject. What was being asked
was an honest, efficient and economical
administration and reasonable en-
forcement of law. Complaint had been
made of one house by another and the
first house was entirely cleaned out
within twenty four aours in the interest
of the other house.
A reason for non reinforcement of the
laws is the wrong impression which Of
ficials have of local self government,
thinking that they are elected to carry
out policies. There is no policy for an
official to carry out but to stand by his