The Washington weekly post., 1900-09-25

have been dedicated to lovers after GER
tain hour at night. Not the busy martS
of trade, perhaps, but the quiet sheGAd
residence streets, where the gas lamps
blink feebly, and the residents, sitting on
the front steps, look discreetly the other
way when the young folks pass The
parks nave long since been given over to
Cupid III their entirety No policeman
mere mas ever dared TO interfere with the
course OF loves young dream or wake I'd
the ti'sSTU! dTedmers by pointing out thar
the streets are not the proper place for
Wndt the city council of Peru dominates
making love, spooning, or carrying on
cUdrlSulp'
IL anything Of the kind were tried here
IL would necessitate the immediate dou-
bilng OF the police department, and even
then all the efforts of all the policemen
would be constantly employed I'm the work
Iofcn climbers and footpads could roam
az viii through the city while 10 900 DO
hcemen strove TO keep $1,000 Young men
ana women from looking into each 9th
err eyes and whispering sweet Mornings
mo each other's ears. The police sta
.I olo4s would De nlled with the prisoners
ana the dockets Of the police courts WonI6
contain nothing except violations OF the
ahu-ioVe-maKlns ordnance IL wouldn't
40 HoeTner would fail if he tried n on
mere. lhe police force would be over
powered by superior numbers.
Again, defensive societies would al o7ca
De formed by the young men and women
Vitally interested The dumping of rhe
tea in Boston harbor would NOT he n
circumstance to the dumping OF coppe 3
INTO horse trOushs and into the lake nv
bands OF determined and indignant vo,lnss
men who insisted on making love spoon
ING, and carrying on cOuriship" when ard
Wnefe they wished. So that the girls did
not object the policemen would be
poWcTieSS. and the girls have never cb-
jected since Mother Eve shared he-9 annie
with Adam. The Lovers Protective AS
sociation would have l00.O0j members
within week if the Peru ordinance werc
passed IN Chicago, and Mayor Hoerner
Would ind himself so thoroughly ostra-
ciZed that he would be afraid 20 90 ia
the grocer's for a loaf OF bread lest the
clerk, enamored OF a hired girl In tha
neighborhood, should put rough on rats
in il.
The trouble in Peru began when tbe
young men and women took possession
OF Fourth street, the main thoroughfsre
and claimed il for their own after 9
o'clock. Other people were allowed TO
walk upon the street, but they felt -
out Of place that they hurried away o
some more secluded thorOughfare. The
couples have swarrned up and down he
street by the score until residents and up-
attached citizens felt ii was a po it!ye in
trusion 10 walk among them and listen 10
feTVent declarations and imIasslOned YcWs
intended only for fair and shell-like ears
The merchants along Fourth street no-
tIeed that their trade was falling of. ex-
Cept the drug store men who sell ice
cream soda, because the lovers were too
enrapt IN their own dreams OF happiness
10 stop and buy anything, and their Hres-
eace kept other people of the street
Therefore agitation began 10 put an end
10 II. and Ii resulted in the ordinance
quoted above.
The mayor says the thing is a nuisance
and will have % stop, and as he is mayor,
a. ought 10 know.
Il do not oppose courtship when IL Is car
ried on in an ordinary manner" says May
or Hoerner. .magnaE 'mOusly. This is cheer
ing news as IL WTs feared at first that
the may0r was Ut erly opposed 70 court
shin. marriage and the continuance OF the
human race But when Ii Is carried on
indiscriminately, goes on the reformer
and IN a style offensive 10 the public. |
believe H. like all other nu!sances should
be abatei The ordinance will, I thins
bring about the desired result Peru cit
izens will not be annoyed by lovesiek and
sentimental persons. or any other species
of suffering humanity If il is il the power
Il myself and the council TO prevent IL
Saving which The msgoF retired 10 HIS
Sanctum and the incident closed Dut
Peru citizens are watching with much in
terest for the first arrest under the nav
law. and t.mid young men are Iaducine
their best girls 10 take their promenades
outside the city limits