The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-12-19
Clergy Request Revo-
cation Of Licenses
From Mondays Daily.

From Mondays Daily.
Sixteen ministers representing the
various church denominations In
Mankato appeared before the city
council this morning and asked for
the revocation of the F. ]. Mettler
and John Hagen saloon licenses, on
the ground that these men had been
convicted of selling liquor to minors.
The council room was packed with
spectators, standing room being at
q premium. The ministerial delega-
ton put in an appearance at ten
o'clock. The committee which called
on Mayor Meyer late Saturday after
noon and informed him that their
attorney agreed with the mayors
Interpretation of the law in regard
to the revocation of the licenses SO
far as the mayors connection with
the matter was concerned, also told
the mayor that the ministers would
appear before the council Monday
morning and presented their side OF
the case. This latter information
was not given to the newspapers at
that time. Instead of closing the
incident it was opened before the
council this morning with renewed
energy.
Mayor Opens Proceedings.
Mayor Meyer opened the matter
by saying that since two saloon
keepers were recently convicted OF
selling liquor to minors, dispute
had arisen in regard to the law,
and some local people thought that
the licenses of the salOonkeepers
were revoked by the conviction. To
be sure, he had asked the city attor-
ney for a legal opinion, and this he
now referred to the council. He
asked City Recorder Bates to read
it. which was done. This was pub
lished in the Free Press last week.
City Attorney Schaub added that
where a sale is made after written
notice not to do so, the penalty is q
small fine, but the license is re-
voked. Where there is no notice,
the fine may be as high as $1,000,
and it is evidently not intended to
revoke the license in addition.
Rev. Arthur stated that no such
Mayor Meyer, and said that Rev.
r. W. Hobbs had been selected as
spokesman, and that Ivan Bowen
had been retained as legal advisor.
Mr.. Hobbs then advanced and
read the following:
Mr.. Mayor and Gentlemen of the
Council: We appear before you to-
day, representing constituency of
several thousand people of this COM
munity, to petition respectfully in
their behalf that the saloon licenses
of John Hagen and r. J. Mettler be
revoked.
In making this request, we do
not minimize the excellent achieve
ments Of this administration, and
we give you opportunity through the
revoking of these licenses to add
one more good point to what you
have already done for the welfare
of the city.
I'VE ask this revocation upon the
following grounds:
"One. The unfitness of these men
to sell intoxicating liquors.
1.-The fact Of their recent convic-
ton in the courts upon the charge
of selling to minors is evidence of
this. This selling to minors is one
of the meanest violations of the la-
uor regulations. The man who
does this has little regard for the
observance of the law or his prom.
Uses.
Fines Have no Weight
That they were punished by be-
ing made to pay fines has no weight
In this instance. 1t is a question,
not of punishment, but of fitness.
They have been convicted of law
violation of a gross sort, and have
thus shown themselves unfit to be
trusted with licenses to sell intoxi-
eating liquors. The fact that there
were similar charges dropped on
the plea of the inconvenience of
converting new juries, is an indica-
ton that it was no novel charge
which was brought against these
men.
Two. For the sake of saloon
men who wish to keep the law.
There are saloon men in this
city, who wish to live up to the
requirements of the law To make
it easier for them to do so. and To
show how contemplate this viola
tion of the law is, the licenses of
the two men Gently convicted
ought to be revoked.
Boys Worth More Than Deer.
Three. For the sake of Manka.
to's boys.
There are growing boys in this
city-some a little wild and reck-
less-but Mankato's boys none the
less. 1t ought to be made posi-
BILE by this council that unscrupu-
lous men through the abuse of a
saloon license, shall not be given
a chance at these boys. Boys
ought to be worth more than the
deer in Sibley Park, whose killing
a little while ago called out such
a storm of protest.
-Four. For the sake of neigh.
boring communities.
''ThOusandS Of vounp poonlo ooxno