The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-07-18
RESPECT FOR LAW
ACoupIe of WeII-known Divines
Touch Upon This Subject.
Take a Recent Local Incident as the
Topic for Their Remarks---A
Digest of Each.

'In6y nave maQe VOlu buo law, LIZ
Cowgirl spoke of the Importance OF
respect for law. with special reference
to the laws designed to guard the
public against the dangers of the
liquor traffic. Calling attention to the
recent violent death of fellow citi-
zen, whose case the coroner's jury had
been Investigating, he said that about
the only thing made clear so far was
that the saloons of the city has been
systematically disregarding the law
during carnival week, and their law
lessness had contributed directly to
this tragedy which has taken hus-
band and father out of the world and
left a family in restitution. At be-
tween two and three o'clock in the
morning a man under the influence of
LIQUOR was still drinking, and was
elected from the saloon in such man
ner or in such a condition that his
head was broken upon the stones.
There is report, probably emanating
from the saloon proprietors, to the
effect that the mayor had given per-
mission to the saloons to keep open as
long as they pleased. This may not
be true; but it matters comparatively
little whether it is true or not. mas
much as the mayor had power to en-
force the law, and it was his duty to
do it, the fact that the saloons so fla
GRAVITY defed the law is evidence
that they correctly counted on the in
diligence of the authorities. The
mayor and the police must therefore
share with the saloons the RESPONSE
bility of making man so drunk
between midnight and two o'clock in
the morning that his head was broken
on the stones of the gutter, and his
family plunged into mourning. l
suppose the saloons are not accustomed
to keep open all night. 1t may be
that the authorities require them
ordinarily to close at midnight; but of
all weeks in the year the carnival
week was the week in which most care
should have been taken to protect the
community against saloon lswlessness.
1t would not be right to say that the
saloon proprietors or the mayor and
the police expected or intended to kill
a man through drunkenness; but the
city authorities practically took the
restraining hand of the law off the
saloons, and the death of a citizen
came as a direct result of it. l am
told that this is the fourth violent
death in our city within year more
or less directly traceable to liquor and
the social evil. No one has been con-
victed for completely in these crimes,
or is likely to be. 1t is perhaps time
to inquire whether city government
that deals indulgently and ineficiently
with liquor lawlessness and the social
evil is not largely responsible for these
dreadful. results. 1t is lax city govern
ment in respect to the liquor evil and
the social evil which prepares the way
for..these.crimes which it is so difficult
to trace home to individual criminals.
Perhaps some of these days. when
the tragedy of--death or crime touches
some prominent person or family, an
aroused public will serve notice upon
the city. authorities that they must en-
force the laws.
I think the public is under the i'm
preston that the laws which require
the saloons to be closed on Sunday are
not enforced. This law was enacted
as a partial protection of the public
welfare against the admitted evil and
danger of the saloon. 1t was partly
designed to secure quiet and restful
Sabbath, and partly to protect society
against the drinking which is liable
to become excessive when men have
nothing to do. If there is any time in
the week when men given to drink
and when their families need prstec-
ton, it is on the Sabbath when idle
men have their weeks wages to
spend. The public has right to claim
the protection granted by the law on
that day. 1t is not compliance with
the law to close the front door and
leave the side or rear door open,
though perhaps the front door is not
always closed.
There is another matter in which
the public is much interested, and
that is the enforcement of the law
against the sale of liquor to minors
I have not been doing detective work,
and do not know to what extent this
law is violated but it is matter of
knowledge that a great many of the
boys are drinking, and no one can
doubt that somebody is selling liquor
right along to minors. know there
are ways for boy who can not buy
his own liquor in the saloon to get it
through some one else. But there is
a widespread impression that the boys
are not having much trouble about
getting their liquor. I have heard it
said, and believe the statement, that
there are some saloons in the city that
are selling to the boys right along.
This, if true, is crime, and ought to
be stopped.
We have now a new institution
which is widely advertising itself in
our city-the Tivoli. To the ordi-
nary facilities of the saloon it adds
some special inducements for patron
age. Newspaper advertisements to the