The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-01-15
The POLICE ARE
FEELING ''RILED'
THEY DON'T LIKE JUDGE DICK
INsON's POINTED INQUIRY.
The Latter Says the Police Court Is
Not to Be a observation-disclosures
Likewise Inclined tos-Resent Com
ment on Laxity In Handling Liquor
Licenses. sstt.j -

A,clash between the police and the
municipal court seems imminent.
Yesterday Judge Dickinson in passing
sentence upon two Offenders in ponce
court, took the police. to task for par
TALLY shown in enforcing the gam
bling laws and critized the city coun-
Gil for the laxity with which liquor
licenses are granted. Chief OF Police
Conroy said to-dayi "
4 Il thought Judge Dickinson was
trying the case at the bar and not the
general community. We arrested
Phillips, the gambler in question, Tor
violating the law and I supposed that
it was, the duty of the court to pass
upon the case. AS to other matters
referred. to, I think they, were foreign
to the case 49,
Ia. Judge Dickinson said to-day that his
remarks were made because ne
wanted to know if the police were be-
ginning a crusade against gambling, II
so he stood. willing to help. out by
passing straight workllouse sentences,
but, if they were not, starting gen.
eral crusade, which would mean that
all gamblers should be brought into
court, he did not purpose to send any
to the WorkhOuse.l He feels 1t be-
meath the dignity Of the. court to be-
come, even a silent partner to any
scheme of the administration, or of the
police department, to railroad few
of the gamblers to the workhouse in
order to give a monopoly to those who
stand well with the administration.
A lawyer; said this morning that the
charter: makes the judge of the mu-
nicipal' court chief magistrate Of the
laws are enforced. He has, a right at
any time to order any, offender
brought into court without regard to
the police department. or;!the mayor
himself. ~! ~ sss>,
Aldermen, Don't Like 1t.
The caustic criticism Of the alder
men in connection with saloon licenses
has aroused their resentment. They
feel that the court is placing on them
blame which belongs to the police de-
partment.
IT have no intention Of criticizing
the municipal bench" said Chairman
Clark of the license committee this
morning, ''but it is due to the city
council, and particularly the commit
tee on licenses, that certain matters
be explained. L frankly confess that
my acquaintance with saloons, and
liquor dealers is limited, and I have
found no member Of the, committee
better informed than I. We rely OH
the police department for information,
and it must be plain that we cannot
give the supervision of saloons our
personal attention.
At the same time, we are willing
| to do our share toward correcting
abuses and discriminating the, dives.
| Not long since. the, council passed an
| ordinance prohibiting the transfer OF
liquor licenses. If man sells his
saloon, he may have. the license re-
Voked i and obtain a rebate. and the
purchaser must apply in person for
his license. &c It may happen, that APP
| plicants are merely stool pigeons for
some one ..elses butt how are we to
| know? AS long as we know, nothing
| against the man, We oare Obliged to
issue a license even to a place that
had previously had an unsayory repu-
tatfon. I believe that the present
council can be safely relied on to
pass any measure that will tend TO
| Improve the moral tone of the city and
to represss vice and;crime, and to re-
fuse licenses to objectionable char
! acters When they are known to be
SUCH U.s. -,r,.i, g.,