The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-02-13

It IS evident that there is going to
be an immediate general house clean
ing in Duluth. A moral wave is due
to sweep down Superior street, and it
will carry before it every gambl-
ing room and house of designation on
the street.
The majority of the members of the
City Council are determined to find out
if there is not some way to remove
these evils.
Alderman Moore, who is the leader
for clean morals in the council put
it about right last Monday evening
when he said: 1T should be the poll
cy Of this council to find out some way
to stop these wrongs. We are not here
to split hairs over the matter, or to
find excuses for the existance of such
places What we want is to find
means to revoke the license of every
saloon where immortality of this nature
is permitted to exist.
The question under discussion was
the revoking of the saloon license Of
Moses Cook. It seems that the Cook
hotel is run under the name of B. J.
Cook, while the saloon is run in the
name of Moses Cook.
MosesCook secured his license under
a clause in the saloon ordinance, which
permits the issuing Of licenses to hotels
having fifty rooms or more. The ma
jority Of the members of the council
were led to believe that Moses Cook
was to open hotel, and that he want
ed saloon in connection with it to
help support the hotel.
How License Was Granted.
The fact that Mr.. Cook received the
license under the hotel exception
clause of the ordinance, and that he
does not own the hotel may open up a
new question in the council. Some of
the aldermen maintain that Mr.. Cooks
position is consistent with the spirit of
the ordinance. Others, however, hold
to the opinion that if licenses are to
be granted in new hotel buildings, that
they should only be granted to the
people who shall run the hotel.
The latter opinion is consistent with
the spirit and intent of the original
ordinance which limited the number of
saloons. If the first opinion prevails
the whole ordinance is discriminate
ing legislation. 1t will mean then that
when one man can not secure license
In store building, that another, who
stands in with someone who is building
a rooming house-sometimes called a
hotel,-wlth so rooms or more, can
have a license. There is no Justice in
this kind of legislation. All of the
argument used in securing the adop-
ton Of the original hotel exception
clause to- the saloon ordinance, was
based on the fact that Duluth needed
more hotels, and that hotel to be a
success must have a saloon in connec-
tlon with 1t. The Idea was to help
the hotel man and not the saloon man.
So much for the Cook hotel saloon
license.
Hotel Has Bad Reputation.
Now for the hotel itself. 1t is gen.
orally conceded on Superior street
that Cooks European hotel is one Of
the worst hellholes in the city. Young
girls scarcely out of school to the most
noted characters in the city have been
admitted within it's walls. Every sa-
loon keeper on Superior street, who
wants to see the saloon business kept
as decently as possible has strongly
condemned the place. One Of them in
describing it said, "all that 1t required
to make 1t complete was piano"
It is evident to any investigator, that
the proprietor of the hotel is aware
Of the reputation Of his place. Those
who defend him say that nothing can
be done. When a man and woman
register at his place, they claim that
he is not supposed to ask if they are
man and wife. This argument might
do very well to deceive some people,
but 1t does not go down with everyone.
Hotel clerks know their people. A
keeper Of a respectable hotel would
become suspicious if he saw, night
after night, such names as Olson and
wife, O'Brien and wife, Johnson and
wife, Smith and wife and dozen
others with no initials or place of res
idence given. A keeper of a respect
that there was something wrong If he
should nightly hear the hilarious voices
Of drunken women resounding through
the building until the wee sma" hours
Of the morning.
Evidence of Employees.
The fact of the matter is that B. J..
Cook never intended to run a respect
able place. A bartender, who worked
at the place from the day it opened re-
Gently quit because it was becoming
too rank. Il have been in the saloon
business for a number of years, but
he says to the Labor World Il never
got into such a disreputable place in
my life. l could not have worked
there much longer, and maintained
my self respect.
The late James Muckle, who was
clerk in the hotel for a short time said
just before his death, which occurred
about month ago: If I get we'll
never want to go into such a hell-hole
again. During the short time that ]
have been there, I have seen more i'm
morality than I saw in my whole life."
This is the testimony of men who have
worked in the hotel.
Such being the case it is the duty
OF the city officials to do all in their
power to compel this evil to cease al
once. The closest attention should be
given the place, and nothing should be
left undone to compel it to observe the
moral laws Of this community. The
city council cannot afford to be indif
hSc