The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-08-21
PLEADS FOR MORE
INTEREST | IN CITY
MINISTER WOULD SEE 1.-THE sYs-
TEN" oVERTHRoWN.
Rev. L. r. Guild, in a Sermon at Wesley
Church, Approves the Crusade Against
Saloons, and Says They Must Go, No
Matter by What Means Says Mayor
Should Be Encouraged.

day morning, Dr.. +. I. Guild, pastor sssg Of
Wesley Methodist church, read what
he called pulpit editorial, = in which
he handled the subject Of municipal re-
form very forcefully. He said in part:
+" American municipal government t, is
VIGOROUSLY the worst in the world. The
municipal system is full Of graft, spoils,
Doodle and methods Of conniving with
criminals and allowing the violation Of
law Usually the police are in league
with criminals. The best citizens are
busy about their own affairs and cannot
afford to become aldermen and civic
officials, and notwithstanding mayors be-
come tools Of this system.
EBusiness men are lnoculated with
the idea that vice must be allowed and
the public continually debauched by
this system of violation Of the law or
else it will hurt the town. The mayor
who attempts to enforce the statutes
meets a pressure indescribable from
these leaders of life, many OF them
leaders in the church. BY the carful or
ganization of it's political constituents
the system is usually able to perpetuate
it's power in every administration, The
people may have spasms OF form,
but interest soon dies down and reaction
comes, and the system riots more lux
uriously than ever in undisturbed pos
session Of the city government,
mosphere of this system On, every
side he is impeded by his subordinates
who are sure: You can It run this city
as if it was country town. Would ne
enforce the laws as he has taken oath
to dos He is impeded by the natural
responsibilities of administration; ne IS
crippled by public indifference9and de-
pressed by the constant pressure from
Heading business men,
"Let us take more interest in munich
pal affairs. Encourage those officers
whose sympathies are with clean gov
eminent. Our present mayor is a Chris
tian man; he certainly has tried to root
out the graft has no alliance with
criminals; is doing manly work in ex-
terminating the gambling which has dis
graced the city; is exercising closer
supervision over vice and has revoked
the city ever had. Encourage him;
| cheer him on.
Enforcing Sunday Law.
"Here is the root Of it all; the saloon,
spawning place of crime. It would be
as good policy to license burglars col
leges as saloons; each as directly pro:
violator of law. The statutes of this
state forbid the Sunday saloon; in a
lifetime none Of you can remember when
these statutes were enforced. --
"The Home Protective league, an or
ganization of a few determined men
who do not believe in this modern
slaughter-house system of debauching
and numbering the youth and the weak
has been working quietly in the city
They have set themselves to arouse SEN
timent; to enforce the most glaringly
violated laws. There is danger here of
a division Of sympathy; that their pro
gram and the mayors may not coincide;
that criticism and recrimination may
work. 'A'%
"Let us encourage the mayor to con.
tinue his efforts for good government
| And let every lover of law and order
demand Of all public officials that they
enforce the laws. Be interested in civic
affairs. Every saloon open on the Sab
bath day in defiance of law is a teach
err Of anarchy as we'll as debaucher OF
manhood.
IT may regret that any division
should come between. our mayor anc
those whose principles are for law en-
forcement; but this municipal System
have a Joseph Folk in Minnesota or il
MINNEAPOLIS, then 7 shall welcome :
G. w. Purple and his Home PROTECTIVE
league, or anything else that will arouse
the people until they recover control oil
the cities and require the enforcement
of law - 49,. - =
When DR.. Guild finished his reading
there was demonstration, repressed b1
the demands Of time and place, but en-
phat1c enough to prove that his au
ditors were with him. =;