The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-23
yesterdays TEMPERATURES.
washington time q p. m. St. PauD.
THAT SIDEWALK ORDER.

OF all the wonderful orders winch nave
issued from the Office of the mayor of
this city there Is none which compares
in point of absurdity with that which
has been directed against the commission
merchants One looks jim vain for an in
telligent explanation OF IT. The reason
assigned by the commission men, that of
politics. wholly fails to offer an intelligent
explanation. Among no class in the COM
munity can it be said that there is any
demand for any such regulation. Had the
order been accompanied by anything liks
a timely notice of positive action Tor its
enforcement it might be intended IS a
deterrent against line of conduct on
the part of those merchants likely 10
produce Inconvenience to pedestrians or
others; but accompanied as it has been
by the arrest of a number of reputable
citizens, it must be regarded as in the
nature of an exercise of executive power
as arbitrary as it is foolish and unwar-
ranted
We do not know how often, if at all,
our distinguished mayor has allowed h 8
effulgent presence to dazzle the vicinity of
East Third street. That section of the
city is not, we know, included in his daily
itinerary He has doubtless acted on
the information and advice furnished by
ilis admirable police department, whose
watchfuI guardianship is not ordinarily
regarded as extending much further east
on that tkorc ughfare than the vicinity
of Bridge squt re. If he had taken the
precaution to examine personally the con-
dition of the sidewalks in the vicinity
of the houses whose proprietors he has
caused to be arrested, even at the busiest
hours of the day, he could easily have
saved himself the commission of an Off
cial blunder which, accompanied as it has
been by the arrest Of reputable mer-
chants, is nothing short of a crime.
So TAR as the public aspects of this
strange proceeding are concerned 1t dos
not matter iii the slightest degree wheth-
or he has added to his folly the wror g
of having assured his victims that they
we're acting within the requirements Of
lhe local ordinances. That is matter
which he may be left to settle with the
men whom he has dealt with so shame
fully. Apart wholly from that cons;dera
ton his action finds no parallel in official
effrontery and folly save alone in the
movement which has been in progress
among our enlightened local officials for
the enforcement of the so-caIled smoke
ordinance.
This city has more than once been made
the victim Of short sightedness, amount
ing often to total blindness, on the part
of its officials. Instead Of an intelligent
exercise of their powers with view to
the advancement of the citys comm er-
cial interests, we are day after day treat
ed 10 such stupid exhibitions as this, tend
ing to embarass those on whose enter.
prise in business undertakings this city
most relies for its prosperity.
We have altogether too clear an under
standing of the intelligence of our NUM-
cipal court Judges to believe for a mo-
ment that this policy OF petty persecution
will receive their sanction If there IS
any local regulation in existence which
warrants such action on the part of the
police officials or the mayor, tie sooner
the city council wipes it out the speedier
will be the city's release from provision
which must be regarded as a wretched
perversion of official authority