The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-01-09
MAYORS CHANGE
AS MORAL LEADER
BUSHNELL DISCUSSES Law EN-.
FORCEMENT AT WESTMINSTER.
He Calls Attention to the Mayors OPP
portunity to Supply Moral Tonic
to the Community Minneapolis Nat
urally Clean City Both Materially
and in Moral Sentiment.

The preaching of Paul and his COM
panlons in Ephesus turned so many of
the Ephesians from the worship of
Diana as to interfere with the business
OF the silversmiths who made silver
shrines Of Diana, and on account of this
interference with business, the scrip
tural accounts say, "the city was filed
with confusion and the narrative says
that when the people came together in
such excitement "some cried one thing
and some another.'
This incident in the ancient Asiatic
city DR.. John E. Bushnell took for his
text for what he called last evening
bis address to the Mayor" Dr..
Bushnell devoted the hour of the even
ing service to discussion of the NUM-
cipal conditions and the pledged sup
port on the part Of Christian people
to the new mayor in every effort which
he might make to elevate the standard
Of public morals in this city. He spoke
of the municipal problem as the great
current question. We have settled
good many problems in this country;
tional authority; the problem of sIav-
cry; problems pertaining to CONNER
cial, industrial, social, religious and
educational life, but perhaps the great
est problem before us today is that Of
city government.
Problem Not Hopeless.
However, even this great question
IS not insoluble and evidences are at
American people will solve the NUM-
clpal, question wisely. DR.. Bushnell
repudlated the idea that MINNEAPOLIS
deserves to be set out conspicuously
among the cities where misrule is preva-
lent. Conditions have given this city
prominence IN the magazines which it
does not deserve: The people of Min
his observation, more in sympathy with
forces Of good morals and good gov
eminent than those Of the average
American city. Nevertheless it must
be admitted that deplorable conditions
have been developed in this community
chiefly. thru laxity in the enforcement
OF the law--law made for the protection
of life and property, for the restriction
OF vice and for the. prevention of crime
/ without going into much detail he
described very accurately the existing
conditions SO well recognized by all
thoughtful citizens as due to the neg
) lect. of official responsibility in the
! various branches Of the municipal gov
} eminent.
What the Mayor Can Do.
LII COuCIuSlOH LIZ. bushnell addressed
his remarks specifically to the mayor.
He expressed the highest confidence in
the ability and the disposition of the in
coming administration to further the
cause Of public morals, raise the stand
ard of official action and restore the
good name of this city, and the first
thing he desired of the mayor was that
he shall be an example Of civic right
eousness such as shall inspire all COOL
tY1,aY To lo1.
Of their public duties No one. he
thought, in the whole city, had a higher
conception Of the duties of the office
than had the man who had just been
chosen to the honorable position of
mayor.
He asked of the mayor that he shall
regard himself as the executive and not
the lawmaker. While distinctly dis
avoW1ng any purpose to require of the
mayor Impractical or impossible results
. he reminded him Of the stand taken By
Theodore Roosevelt when a member OF
the police commission in New York il
favor of the enforcement of the law
3 Vices to Be Removed.
It is the business of the MAYOR t.
deal directly with the suppression OF
crime, the restriction of vice and the
regulation Of the liquor traffic. The
;, speaker was uncompromising in his op
position to all forms of public gambling
and indicated that it was his hope tina
, not only would the public gambling
g houses be abolished, but also that tn,
y pernicious practice of petty gambling
= which flourishes openly in all parts O.
= the city, would be broken up.
The abolition Of the winerooms. re
!, striction of the social vice and swift
u u and severe punishment for the sale O.
i liquor to minors were other services
which the new mayor would be ex
pected to render to the city.
Following this was the assurance
that in the pursuance Of this course tn
mayor would be supported by all goo,
citizens. Men and women in sympath1
o with such a standard Of public servic
are organizing in its support. Th
: Anti-Saloon league, Home Protectiv
g league, the Humane society, the Trav
!. elers Aid Branch of the W. G. T. q
,; u the Salvation. Army, the Volunteers o
II America and other organizations a
=: a we'll as the churches, chapels and mis-
!, II sions are combining in support of ever
n agency which shall make for the es
' tablishment and maintenance of a hig
= standard Of public morals. 1t is time
=, said DR.. Bushnell, to confront unite
L