The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-04-16
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE

On the last day of January of this
year Mayor Kiefer received the ''resig-
nation" of his former chief of police,
Michael N. Goss. Referring to the cir
cumstance the mayor was quoted In the
columns of the ST. Paul Dispatch as
saying: ''It is my intention to consult
with the prominent men of the party
with respect to police appointments. 1t
is my earnest desire that st. Paul shall
be one of the best governed cities of its
size in the country. and I will bend
every energy to that end"
Mr.. Goss' resignation" was virtually
a removal. It took Mayor Kiefer one
year and nine months to accomplish it.
While he was celebrating on the mat
ter. crimes of violence were of daily oc-
currence, conspiracies were maintained
within the force against the authority
of the mayor himself, and it was openly
stated on the streets that certain promi-
nent police officers were financially in
terested in maintaining criminal resorts
in the city, and that gambling was con-
Quoted under police protection. Mayor
Kiefer himself demonstrated by his raids
of certain gambling houses the truth Of
the latter charge.
At the time that Mayor Kiefer made
the declaration of purpose above quoted
the G o b had something TO say as to
the remoteness of the prospect that he
would or could make good his promise.
This is what the G o b e then said:
This sort Of declaration may do as
bait for gudgeonS. 1t will not do as an
apology or defense for his the mayor's)
official ineptitude. 1t will not cover out
of sight the moral plague spots which
he has permitted to overrun the COM
munity, nor palliate the aScendency of
the burglar and the thug. the insecurity
of life and property, the moral rottenness
which has befOuled the social atmosphere
of the city under his polluting touch. 1t
win not redeem the city from the ineffa-
bic disgrace which he has made to rest
upon 1t by his Inauguration OF system
which has set premium on immoral
traffic, and transformed the city police
administration into a fence, pander,
an official go-between wherever crime
sought cover or protection.
No one seriously disputed at that time
the correctness of the G o b e S charac-
terization of the state of things which
had prevailed Mayor Kiefer himself
showed that he was altogether con-
scious of the shameful conditions, and
that his hesitation about interfering was
due entirely to his dread of the possible
showed clearly, however, that save
through his inaction he was in no sense
or degree party. to the continued su-
premacy of crime.
Now, what has been done since the
withdrawal of Goss from the Office of
chief of police to remedy the state of
things thus portrayed? How has the
mayors appointee as the successor of
Goss succeeded in demonstrating his fit
ness for the office he fills? Is crime any
less rampant now than it was then? Is
it likely to be any less rampant should
the existing state of things be allowed
to continue, as it would be by the cleo
ton of Mr.. Chester r. Smith as mayor?
The answer is plain. However anxious
Mr.. Smith might be, as Mayor hlefer
undoubtedly was, to apply a remedy, it
has been too long made apparent that
it will be no more in his power than it
has been in the power of Mayor Kiefer
Or of his predecessor, Mayor Doran, to
give the people any relief
Experience is the only safe rule of
judgment III this case, and experience
shows. not only that the persons and
property of the citizens have been in
constant jeopardy under Republican
Democratic administration they always
have been and are always likely to be
fully and absolutely safeguarded