The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-10-20

mlttlng the sale OF liquor in resorts.
1t was also voted to have a commit
tee of three named by President F.
j. Clemans to find and make public
the names of persons owning prop
|erty occupied by the resorts.
Fifteen laymen attended the meet
ing, and when the letter to the gov
ernor was presented by James Man
ahan, the associations attorney, it
was decided by unanimous. vote to
send it without change.
Letter Sent the Governor.
The following is the letter:
1--WE respectfully decline to relieve
you of the responsibility of enforc-
ing the laws of the state when local
officials are derelict. We accused the
mayor and chief of police and police
commissioners of st. Paul with mall
feasance in office. They have per-
mitted disorderly houses to run open
ly and liquor to be sold illegally.
"The county attorney of Ramsey
county cannot be expected to prose
cute the mayor and chief of police,
for he shares with them the respon-
sibility of permitting within his jur.
isdiction these houses and this Illicit
business. And we now join him in
this additional and supplementary
complaint. We accuse the mayor,
chief of police and county attorney
with the knowledge of facts stated in
our original complaint to you. These
facts were called to their attention
by the public press and otherwise,
and yet they permitted the places
named in the complaint; and other
places continue their illicit business
and illegal sales of liquor since that
time
Reporter Accompanied the Party.
eve requested disinterested men
from out of town to investigate, and
invited a reporter of The Pioneer
Press to accompany them. They
found the places, named in our com
plant and others to be running open
ly, and selling beer brazenly and IL
legally. The reporter of The Pioneer
Press took notes of these illegal
sales, and the paper can publish
the facts if it cares to do so, and ad-
wise the public officials again of the
intolerable conditions that disgrace
our city. We respectfully suggest
that the attorney general advised
you correctly as to your duty and
powers in the premises, and that the
supreme court of Minnesota, in the
case of the State VS.. Robinson, held
that our construction of the law, as
contained in your letter, is unsound.
No Indictment Is Required. g
"No Indictment by the grand jury
is necessary. If these officials un-
der local pressure refuse to enforce
the laws a grand jury would prob
ably do likewise, being guided large
ly by the county attorney. But the
judgment and the law of the state ia
superior to misguided local ma
chine-made public opinion, and we
urge that it is your plain duty to
enforce the rights of the state with.
out regard to the opinion of local
officials. We insist that our COM
plant with these additional charges
and amendments should be consider
ed with courage. If there is any
reason why you cannot enforce the
laws of the whole state, even against
local officials of st. Paul and Ram
sey county, you should resign your
office and give way to someone who
cannot be inundated or persuaded
to dodge or falter in the performance
of plain duty. The public welfare
is more important than tenure of Of
fice."