The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-05-25
WOMEN PRAY IN
MAYORS OFFICE
w. q. T. u. SUNDAY CLOSING DELE
CATION VISITS CITY HALL.
incidentally Minnehaha Conditions Are
Brought Up, and the Charge Made
that Girls Are Dragged There The
Mayor Outlines His Position Fully
and Tells What He Is Doing.

A large delegation of w. G. T. U.
women waited on Mayor D. P. Jones
today to request the enforcement OF
the law closing saloons on Sunday. In
addition they asked that certain public
resorts-notably Minnehaha- be made
so clean that children and women will
be safe in visiting them.
Minnehaha crowds, Mrs. A. G. McCur-
DIV suggested a detention room for mis-
guided girls who frequent the dance
halls, where matron could give them
care until they were in condition to
be sent home, and who would see that
they went home. Mrs. McCurdy stated
that not uncommonly the girls who got
into trouble at Minnehaha were drugged
and could not or would not go home it
released. ...
While awaiting the mayor, the wom-
en- held a prayer meeting in his recep-
ton room, in which earnest petitions
in his behalf were made. The plea for
Sunday closing made by Mrs. Frances
Neal was touching one, as she and
several Of the older women present had
known Mayor Jones from his boyhood
in him and confidence in his good in
tentions and Judgment: The thought
| of thanksgiving for Christian mayor
was prominent in all the speeches,
Mayor Jones said he felt for Min
neapolis more than a citizens, interest
"a family feeling. This feeling, and
the sense of obligation to the common
| cation had been strong motives in IN
ducing him to undertake the serious
| duties of mayor, as he felt the city had
a right to his services.
In the campaign, Mayor Jones told
his visitors, he had taken the grounc
that the mayor could influence the
moral conditions of the city, and he hac
pledged himself to do that. An i'm
portant part Of that work was the pro
lection Of the home and particularly o. Of
the young people, and in his efforts al
'making good,'' this work had re
ceived foremost consideration. He out
lined what he had undertaken to do ane
what had been accomplished in the en-
forcement of the wineroom ordinance
and other laws regulating the saloons
and in stamping out gambling. He be
lieved that gambling was who'll,
stamped out, and that saloonkeeper
knowing that they were risking for
fixture Of their licenses. Ill.,.
Mayor Jones told the women that h
had been obliged to learn patience, ever
tho unwillingly, and that the task O.
covering at once the whole field IN
volved in the betterment of the city
such as he had set for a standard TO
himself, was an impossible task. II
pointed out that with only eighty pa
trolmen on duty at any given hour, /
was difficult to enforce any law that tn
whole 400 saloons united in opposing.
CT have been told by Christian mel
of wide experience in municipal mat
ters,'' said the mayor, "not to be dis
appointed if I don It get all my desire.
reforms at once. They tell me; Don
give people reform in overdoses, bu
lead people up to it, and arouse them t
a desire for better Standards cal
nestly desire to raise the municipa
standards of the city and that remain
my purpose, as it was expressed -durin
the campaign, altho perhaps hav
found the way even harder than I ez
pected. But I don It want to make an
grandstand plays. prefer to do som
, things that will take root and be pei
manent.
"I think and hope that it will poss
BILE in time to accomplish what you as
in the matter of Sunday closing, Q
; which I personally heartily approve, a
tho many good men differ from me.
am trying to find the way, and am hay
ing gathered by plain-clothes men dat
on exactly how the saloons are bein
conducted on Sundays. When this wor
is completed I shall analyze it for m
future Dujdance''