The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1919-02-01

vine ln1unctlon Unto MIN
that smiteth thee on one cheek,
turn also the other" Whether or
not this correctly explains their
former attitude, the patience with
which they have borne the impu-
dent tyranny Of papalized munich
pal and state officials establishes a
new record in Christian forbear-
ance. The action of a circuit
Judge in issuing to the St. Louis
school board a writ to compel the
board to lower its standard for
teachers in the public schools for
the accommodation Of Roman Cath
olics, is a companion piece in Of
fetal impudence to the more re-
cent action of the city government
in closing the public grammar
schools and meetings Of the Ma
sonic fraternity .during the in
fluenza epidemic, while permit
ting saloons and dance halls and
meetings of the nights Of Colum-
bus to operate un6sturbed.
Irish Papists Get Busy
But evidence is not lacking that
st. Louisans finally are convinced
that they not only have complied
with the mandate of the Lord on
the Mount, but that they have fully
exhausted the seventy times seven
in which He admonished men to
forgive their enemies. And just at
the time that the patience of the
long-suffering public is worn to a
frazzle, the Irish papists who so
long have dominated the political
life of st. Louis have perpetrated
new outrage which outranks their
rankest capers of the past. And
their latest abuse of official power
is so wanton and outrageous that
it has lighted fame of popular
indignation that promises to bring
down their whole infamous po-
litical structure in ruins upon
Their heads.
The St. Louis board Of police
commissioners, which is composed
Of four members, is appointed by
the governor. This commission
has absolute and complete control
Of the entire conduct Of the police
department Of the city. 1t is re-
sponsible to nobody but the gov
ernor. For forty years or more
as result Of this condition, the
police department Of st. Louis ha;
been a political football 1t has
been used by the party in power
to corrupt elections in st. Louis by
intimidating honest voters and pro.
tecting crooked politicians an(
ward heelers and unscrupulous elec
ton officials. By the use of thi'
powerful machine, which was con
tinuously in the control Of thu
hierarchy by virtue Of guberna
torial appointments, Rome has, un
til less than ten years ago, main
tanned absolute political supremac,
in municipal affairs in spite Of th'
fact that she directly controls onl,
small per cent Of the qualified
voters Of the city. But in 1911
Rome lost its grip on the polio
department when William YounI
was promoted to the Office Of chic
of police. In spite Of the contin
hance Of many Knights of Colum
bus in the lower ranks Of the de
partment, the presence of Chic
Young, Protestant, Mason an,
a patriot, at the head of the serv
ice, lent o modicum Of respectable
ity to the whole department.
Eliminated Reign of Crime
During the incumbency of Chic
Young the revolving red-hght dis
tricts and the appalling corruptio,
Of elections, as well as the constan
carnival Of crime that has reigne
in st. Louis have been largel
eliminated. Unable longer t
swing elections by its control 0
the police department, Rome ha
lost many of the municipal Office
which command high salaries. A
a result, Of course, she has bee
| gnashing her teeth at the patriot
chief and yowing vengeance. An
she has finally succeeded in sinI
ing her fangs deep into the objet
| Of her wrath, thanks to the conni,
ance of Governor Gardner's Knigf
of Columbus police board.
| The present board Of police con
missioners is composed Of one pr
Roman democratic politician, ty
Knights Of Columbus and or
cipher. For several months pa