The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-09-30
C5IJRT|N|1 IS IN QFFENSE
City COUNCIL OF peru, ILL.,, WILL
NOT ALLOW PUBLIC LOVE
MAKING
MAYOR STRONGLY AGAINST IT
Too Ardent Lovers Are Liable
TO lie Fined From SD TO
$1OO for Each Of
fcESe.

$500 for Each Of
fcEse.
There is Il man in Peru. H., who would
not be a bit popular if he came to Chi
cago and held a job here as he does
there, says the Chicago Chronicle. His
name Is Hoerner, and he is mayor of the
town That is one of the best jobs in
Peru, and when the good people gave it
80 Brother Hoerner they thought he was
a lovely man. Since then some things
have happened which have stirred Peru
from the railroad station clear out of
Haskins peach orchard. and as every
one who has ever been in Peru knows,
that is as far as you can go without get
ting right into the country. Mayor Hoer-
ner and his associates in the city council
have gust struck Il foul blow at loves
young dream. They have taken a pot
shot at Cupid and have threatened that
lively youth with arrest If he shows his
curly head and undraped form on the
main streets Of Peru. They did it by
adopting the following ordinance:
Whoever shall in said city congregate
on or upon any of the streets in the city
of Peru for the purpose OF counting,
making love, or spooning or carrying on
courtship shall be guilty of misde-
meanor, and shall be fined not less than
IS or more thar, 500 for each offense.
Now. they may stand for this sort OF
thing in Peru, but if Hoerner came to
Chicago and tried any such tricks his
finish would be rs plain and as easy To
descry as a red barn on q hillside. His
Impeachment would be certainty on
charges of malfeasance i'll office before
his identity became known. There would
be plenty of trouble brewing for Col.
Hoerper if he tried his Peru methods on
this town. Since the days when Fer
na"do Jones discovered Lake street run
ming into the lake the public streets Of
Chicago have been dedicated to lovers
after certain hour at night. Not the
busy marts of trade, perhaps but the
quiet, shaded residence streets, where
the gas lamps blink feebiy, and the resi-
ueiIts, sitting on The front steps look
discrecuy the other way when the Young
folks pass. The parks have long since
been given over to Cupid in their Nntire-
ty No policeman here has ever dared
10 interfere with the course of loves
young dream OF wake up the blissful
oreaTGefs by pointing cut that the streets
aTS not the proper place for what the
city council Of Peru denominates making
loEe, spoonlnS, OF carrying on court
ship"
If anything of the kinI were tried here
II would necessitate the immediate dolIb-
llns OF the police department. and even
Llen All the efforts of all the policemen
would be constantly employed in the
work Porch climhars and footDads co1tI,7
rom 81 viii through the city While 1O010
p'iiceiheh stroVe to keep $50, $50 young
~, ana women from looking into each
otier eyes ana Whispering sweet Moth
mss into each others cars. The noIic,
stations would be filled with the prison
efS and the dockets of the police courts
WOULD contain nothing except Violations
OF the anti-lo1 e-Inalling ordinance II
Wouida 90 Eioerner would fail if he
Tried It on here. The police force wo1IIlI
u oFsfpoWefed by superior numbers
Again, defensive societies would a orc
be formed by the young men~and ,,,o,,,e,,
NtiilY interested The dumping Of fhe
tcii IN boston harbor would not he q cir,
cuHStahce to the dumping Of corners
INTO horse trOughs and into The lake H.
bJildS of determined and indignant vo,1,,fr
men who insisted on making love
Sl,oohlnS' and carrying on courts6iD''
N1sn anu where they wished Sc that H.
giI IS did not object the policemen N7o11;,1
Be p"WeTless, and the girls have never
Directed since Mother Eve shared bar
apple with Adam The Lovers pro+ac.
tive Association would have 100000 mem
befs within a week if the Peru ordinance
We're passed in Chicago, and Mayor
Hoerner would find himself so tboronoI,I,,
ostfdcizeG that he would be afraid to oo
to the grocer's for a loaf of bread Iesf
the clerk, enamored Of q hired girl in the
neighborhood, should put rough on rats
IN it.
The trouble in Peru began when Tho
young men and women took possession
OF Fourth street, the main thoronghfare
and Claimed it for their own after 9
o clock Other people were Allowed to
walk upon the street, but they felt SO
out Of place that they hurried away to
Sc'ne more secluded thorouehfare The
couples have swarmed up and down the
street by the score until residents ana
unattached citizens felt it was a positive
intrusion to walk among them and lista,.
10 1srVent declarations and impassionef
lows intended only for fair and she'll
IKE eafss The merchants along Fourth
street noticed that their trade was fall
Ing off, except the drug store men who
Sed ice cream soda. because the lovers
wee too efrapt IN their own dreams of
happiness to stop and buy ANYTHING. and
their presence kept other people off the
street Therefore agitation began to put
an end 10 ii, and il resulted in the olG;-
nance quoted above
The mayor says the thing is a nuisance
and will have to stop, and as he is Inayo..
he ought to know.
l do not oppose courtship when it is
carried ON il an ordinary manner" saws
Mayor Hoerner, magnanimously. This is
cheering news, as it was feared al first
that the mayor~Was utterly opposed to
oourtship, marriage and the continuance
OF the human race But when it is car
ried on indiscriminately, goes on The. re-
former, and in a style offensive 10 tie
public, / believe it, like all other nui-
sance3. Should be abated. The ordinance
VIII, think, bring about the desired re-
SUIT. Peru citizens will not be annoyed
by loAesicH and sentimental persons. or
any other species of suffering humanity
II it IS in the power Of myself and the
ccuncil TO prevent it, Saying which the
mayor retired to his sanctum and the in :
cdent closed. But Peru citizens arc.
watching with much interes; FOR the first
arrest under the new law and tfrai5
young men are inducing their best girls
t. take their promenades outside of the
city limits.