St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1959-08-21
The ''Near Riot In St Paul

Since this newspapers investigation of the riot last
Friday night and Rondo has not been completed and
this editorial had to before full investigation has
been finished of what here must necessarily be
based on what reports we have at hand
Certainly be something the community
when openly resist police authority happened Friday
at Kent and and in still another July 49, when
crowd of 100 gathered Grove and Mississippi and of
the people reved police officers who doing their duty
This newspaper has respect for police officers who prac
tice brutality miStreat citizens neither does have
spect who wuy break the law There
and legal methods by which police officer who oveseps
his authority and msreats citizen in Minnesota may be
death with By the token there usually by which
law voaors may be appehended without public outbreaks
which threaten community peace.
There for Negro mob in St Paul than
there is white mob in Little Rock Ark, defying const
uted authority whether that mob is composed of IL persons
or 300
This newspaper has suspicion that the police great
extent are blame Friday nights outburs because few
members the Paul police department rumOred to have
gained the reputation of being overzeaous checking the cred
entails of any Negro male who with white female
This charge has been prevalent in ST. Paul for the
1t is still since have yet to talk
to any persons have actually stopped under such
Nevertheless doubt that the is baseess
although believe the alleged ndscrmnae practice
of stopping mixed couples has department sanction
ticed has been alleged, by the entire force
If such conduct being practced by patrOmen detec
tves community leaders should Immediately submit such evd
they Chief William Proet On the other hand
circulation of such they unOunded unfair to
the St Paul city law enforcement agency and its members
On the other hand responsible citizens want abuse of
citizens by police do they the police abused by
just because they doing their duty.
Police should be instructed leave their racial feelings
they haveat home and off duty When duty they should
disregard the color of individuals and also the color of
those with whom individuals may be in company Unless
this followed there always grounds for assumptions
of antiracial conduct
Law abiding citizens should recognize that the police
hired protect the community and its residents from law
voato and that with few exceptions who orderly
awabdng and peaceful have nothing fear from police in
St Paul Minneapolis Neither of the departments will
done brutality by officers if it is reported and proved
In the meantime pointed in the Minneapolis TRIBUNE
editorial reprinted elsewhere this paper the underlying
tions especially the housing problem which make possible
spectacle of last Friday city far advanced Paul
with and must be met During the period in which adjust
of the housing problem is being made St Paul house
holders and responsible citizens should support the police il
any effort keep the conditions which
disorder.
The blind pigs, the illicit places which mushroomin
in neghborhoods where lawabdng families forced
because of housing discrimination, bekept minimum
and only the police backed by aroused neghborhoods
this
However public support and backing will not be forthcom
ing the police the Negro community feels its rights
being violated and those rights include lawful association wit
anybody whom they choose without regard race creed
color without molestation by police.