Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, February 5, 1904, Page 4

FELT PUBLIC PULSE Municibal Reform Subject of Intensely Interesting Mass Meeting _ Last Night. MANY SPEAKERS SPREAD SALVE Business Men and Taxpayers Adverse to Any Action at This Time. Municipal reform was the sub- ject of one of the most intensely - interesting mass meeting that has ever been held in Bemidji, at the city hall last night. Gam- bling and the social vice, its toler- ance and disposition was the piece de resistance of the meet- ing. It was called to ascertain public sentiment and the attend- ance and interest dlsplayed far exceeded the expectations of the promoters. While a large portion of the audience was not in sympathy with the movementit was quite representative of the influences responsible for the presentagita- tion. The clergymen of the city, nearly every member of the W. C. T. U,, and the membership’ of the various church societies were . strongly represented. The hall was taxed to its capacity and; half the audience stood. All in- terests were represented. Gamblers off watch, members of| the Retail Liquor Dealers’ Asso- ciation and all the interests affected were there to listen if not to defend. The audience was “orderly throughout the evening, | with the exception of two occa- sions, when the pointed remarks of Rev. F. E. Higgins and City Attorney Russel called forth| noisy applause. 1 The meeting was called to orderat8:15 by Mrs. Trask, the president of the local W. C. T. U. _She stated thatithad been called rance. Bemidji had over 1,000 children; 700 of whom were of school age, the future hope of the city and nation, Their culture, education and righteous training | was a subject of the utmost im- portance. It well became the W. C.T.U. to inaugurate this effort to beat back the cancer planters of the Twentieth cen- tury. He appealed to the fathers and mothers against the enviorn- ment in which their children were being reared. Myriad social foes were secretly taking advantage of their €hildren. The flash lights of hell, the gilded dens and dives, with polished mirrors and cut glass in spark- ling array invited them to hell. A full grown army of men and women pandered to the baser passions ol the town. Bemidji had the name of being hell on earth. Respectable capital re- fused to invest inthe town. He believed that the mayor and al- dermen, the city and county offi- cials stood ready to enforce the laws, if the people of the city demonstrated to them that they wanted them enforced. He ap- pealed to'the fathers and moth- ers to put their trust in God, keep their powder dry and not cease in their efforts toward re- form until every gambling house and den of prostitution was| driven from the city. A FELONY. J.-J. Trask said’he counted it an honor to be privileged to ad dress the meeting. He read the state statute defining prostitu- tion as a felony. He knew it to be a fact that it was absolutely unsafe for youngmen and womon to be upon the streets of Bemidji at certain .times. He believed the business man should place his God above all other interests and hoped for the hastening of the dav when gambling and prostitution would be a thing of the past in Bemidji. EVERYBODY CARRY COAL. Dby that organization to ascertain public sentiment;in regard to the | closing of the dens of vice and gambling. \Bemidji should take a Rev. Allan Clark, pastor of the Nymore Ccngregational church, was the next speaker. He told Chauncey Depew’s story of the |up of saloon keepers and-gamb- revenue to the city, he had sworn out warrants which the:county attorney wouldn't allow served and he had then gone to thegov- ernor and the state authorities and they had told him it was a local affair and referred him to the grand jury. When the grand jury was drawn it had been made lers and he had beéni “¢ompelied to drop the matter and it was common talk about, town that Higgins had received $250-for-his. action. -He had built the first Presbyterian church in this city and the gamblers hdad not con- tributed a cent to it either. The people would get what they wanted. The town was in debt and the passing ofthe grafter was to be hoped for. ‘If the people of Bemidji wanted. reform he would lead any committee that looked to action in that direction: How it would be done was a question he was not prepared’ to answer. He would be pleased:to have somebody ‘‘wise ‘him up? he said. He did not believe in criticising the city officials. He complimented Mayor Ludinging- ton. He was one of the best offi- cials the city had ever had and if he was a candidate for re-election’ he would lay aside his mackinaw, and work for him. Neither did he believe the chief of police- or sheriff should be criticised, If the taxpayers really wanted to do something they should get busy. They would find the gamb- lers and wheel dealers foemen worthy of their nettle. . SMITH OF HERMAN. George Smith was the next speaker. He was from Herman and used to be town marshal there. 'He had voted to close up the saloons and had been the next village marshal. When he attempted to do his duty the ministers had gone back on him. He. believed Christian people should go about this thing sys- tematically. God was with them, but God couldn’t do it all. Away back in ’66 he had marched from Louisiana to Texas to fight for the stars and strips. They told him going up that God was with him and that he fought in the pleased to come here and live. ROBBED BUSINESS MEN, Rev. Richards said Bemidji was a suburb of Crookston. He is engaged in Sunday school work and has headquarters at this point. Gambling and pros- titution robbed the business men of dollars. There were lots of places in the northwest that were ‘worse ~ than Bemidijt;- however, and united effort was what was necessary to accomplish the end undertaken,- s NOT A POLITICAL MEETING. Mas. Trask then stated that the W. C. T. U. wished to correct an impression that had gone abroad that this was a political meeting. The W. C.T. U. was responsible for the movement and it should be given all the credit. TIME FOR LIGHTNING. Rev. Smith, pastor of the M.E. ‘church, then arose. He stated that the meeting had-now had about an hour and a half of thunder and he believed it was itime fora little lightning.” He suggested the circulation of a petition to be presented to the city officials and stated that he would sign it. NEVER START 1T NEVER STOP IT. Rev. Parks said. the present ‘movement was like the first loco- motive ever built. = People had tald the inventor that it would never start and when he had started it they told him that it would never stop. He was 1s en- tire sympathy with the present movement and was-in favor of getting very busy. DANIEL O'CONNEL RUSSELL. At the ¢onclusion of the Rev. Park’s address there was a temporary breathing spell until an ominous squeak of overshoes made it apparent that City At- torney Russell was about to open with better than' jacks. - Mr. Russell stood before the aud- ience for a moment but conclud- ed he could speak better from the stage. He advanced to the footlights, cleared his throat, hitched his elbows, there was the sparkle of Kilkenny in his eye cause of humanity but when they got to Texas they got an awfual licking and they had to run all the way back. He didn’t think this was God’s fault. The gen- erals were to blame. He did not think reform would. be accom- | plished in a day. He hoped that Bemidji would be cleansed so. that when her real estate. men stand for the right she said and)Chicago man who died and was b Lo S allors and he did not look at all unlike his distinguished cousin the late Sol Smith Russell, in “A Poor Relation”” when he began the most sensational address of the evening. He began by calling; had listened to the speakers of the evening the reverend gentle- men and others he said until he!himself and Mr. Russell. could no longer contain -himself. He had heard the fair name of Bemidji slandered until his blood had boiled with indignation. One of the reverend gentlemen who had preceded him in speech had made the statement that if we would clean up Bemidji the peo- ple of Dulufh would come here to live. Tt was a matter of fact that the first house of prostitution that they were a big source of |the people of Duluth would be|things By their right names. He|chair, told the audience to hold its horses and assured them that there was no difference betwls[en r. Russell bore him out inthe state- ment, L. H, BAILEY SPREADS THE SALVE 0OL. H. Bailey then came for- ward The audience wiped the perspiration from its brow while Mr. Bailey opened his cruise of oil, . He stated that so far as the bad name of Bemidji was con- cerned the audience present was a sufficient contradiction. . He ever ~opened - in - Bemidji - was started by a man from. Duluth. It was high time for them to get busy down that way he thought. Bemidji had been shamelessly and wantonly slandered. The letter published in ‘the Pioneer of Monday had been a libel on the town, a smirch and an em- bodiment of slander that de- served the repudiation of every citizen in the town. He would -prosecute the man who. wrote it if anyone would furnish him with the evidence. He read exfracts from the article.and flayed them unmercifully. As citizen, who signed the communication he characterized as shameless and wanton. H. G. Hays, present at the reporter’s table, the bell wether butter-in. from Brown county, who had been decidedly nervous during all the evening lest he should not be given an opportunity to exercise his butting-in accomplishment hitch- ed backin hischairbeamingbenifi- cently and started a feeble round of applause. Mr. Russell’s re- marks after that were devoted to a defense of Bemidji. He told the people how they could go about it to close gambling and prostitu- tion, refused to recognize an in- terruption by the Rev. Higgins at that time and closed his ad- dress amid deafening yells of applause. HIGGINS CALLS.. Rev. Higgins then took the floor, He asked City Attorney Russell how to proceed to close these evils. ‘“Make complaint to any justice,” resonded Mr. Rus- sell, “bring sufficient evidence and I will undertake a prosecu- tion tomorrow morning.”’” The audience became noisy. Thead- verse sentiment had not .recov- ered from the effects of City At- torney Russell’s noisy elogquence and there were loud cries of ¢‘sit down.” Rev. Higgins mounted a | | other condition. believed that patience was nec- essary in dealing with tias ques- tion. Close wide open gambling, and it will exist under some He believed one thing to do was to make the matter an issue at the spring election. This was the best way to ascertain public sentiment: He had no issue with the moral right or wrong of the question but if it was desirable to have the deliberation of the city in the matter governed by public senti- ment, he thought a ticket put up at the Spring electionon a plat- form which clearly - de fined the issue would be an excellent way of arriving at the true status of public sentiment. Mr. Bailey’s time limit expired before he- had covered the subject as thoroughly as he intended. TRASK PRESENTS PETITION. J. J. Trask then made a motion that a petition be circulated for the purpose of securing signa- tures, asking the council to sup- press gambling and prostitution and pledging the support of the petitioners to the council in its efforts. It was adopted by a standing vote that was practically unanimous although it did not express the true sentiment of many. who were on their feet in the rear of the hall. MCLEOD DIDN'T WANT DELAY. Rey. McLeod then spoke. His remarks were directed against the argument of L. H. Bailey. He did not believe in delaying this matter. He thought now was the time to proceed. MOVE NOT A JOKE. Rev. Higgins then informed the people that this movement was not ajoke. The meeting had started out to antagonize the interests of men who were cafty in ways.of the world and would Continued on Page 2. : Largest . Spring Hats it well became the W. C. T. U. to|admitted at the gates of what he take the initial step. The meet-|pelieved was heaven. He was ing hoped to hear: from all who|surprised tofind that, it was the were interested she said and the|other extreme, He thought that speakers would be limited to ten|Bemidji people might be in dan- minute talks, : ger of getting their wirescrossed | flanirers and rear guards and || PIONEER PASTOR'S TALK. in the same way. He did not be- they must expect to take some Rev. Broomfield, pastor of the|lieve the better classes wanted jickings “before their ends was Baptist_church, then took the|the present conditions. The accomplished. Hoor. He said thatas the oldest|time had arrived when there A LADY AND BEMIDJL resident pastor in the city,except|should be a change. The gamb-| lady mas e oxt peaker: 5 »r Murphy, he presumed a ling houses and hells of vice ab- : ex thiémfiig%om }l)lim would |sorbed threefourthsofthemoney | She told how on a recent visit they wouldn’t need to carry a soap tank to purify its reputa- tion. They would use plenty of soft soap anyhow. The move- ment should have skirmishers Exclusive on Clothing Store in Bemidji. : Display. M. New Colors, Ghe QClothiers> New Styles. not be out of place at this time. He was Lrish, he said, but he was not “‘agin the government.” He was liere not as a preacher but as a citizen, taxpayer and man. He was confident that some of the existing conditions might be removed with credit to the city. He did not believe that Bemidji was all bad. It had been stated to him when he came to Bemidji that there were not half a dozen virtuous women in town. Hebe- lieved this was a lie. He believed __that there were many things in Bemidji that might be removed with credit to the town and he hoped to hear the freest expres- sions of opinion and believed the time was coming when vice and corruption would no longer be that came to Bemidji in the pock- ets of the harvester and woods- man. He believed the present meeting was the blowing of the whistle that marked the starting of the train. He closed by asking everybody to help stir up the fire and carry coal. HISTORY BY’ HIGGINS, Rey. Higgins' who had "been sitting with the boys in the rear of the hall then elbowed his way to the front amid a visible mur- mur of approval from every corner of the house: ~Hesaid-the- audience had heard from the ministers but he was here as a lumberijack to talk this thing over. He believed the people would get just what they wanted. He was acquainted with local conditions tolerated in Bemidji. Mr. Broom- |} "co43 " Then he harked back - field’s remarks were heartily ap- |y tho time when the houses were plauded. moved to their present location GILDED PALACES OE SIN. and he and Father Murphy had Rev. McLeod, pastor of the|opposed the move. He had First Presbyterian church 'was|washed his hands of the whole the next speaker. He was|affair at that time. Time and pleased, he said, to have this op-|again he had tried to do some- portunity to speak on a subject |thing and to get the council to do that he deemed of first import-|something. He had been told Sepia Tores ‘Make the most elegant portraits. Newest thing in Photogra phy. REED’S ART STUDIO she had been compelled to defend the town against all sorts of stories. Everybody said it was a tough place, she said, but she had defended it and thought something ought to be done to make it a little more respectable. BUSINESS MEN INVITED TO TALK. Mrs. Trask, the president pre- siding, stated” that the meeting would be pleased to hear the pusiness man’s side of the argu- ment. The W. C. T. U. wanteda full and . free expression of opinion. : PORTER NYE AND THE SMALL BOY SEMI-ANNUAL CLEARANCE SALE Porter Nye then took the floor. He didn’t think Bemidji was the worst town on earth, but he had: noticed that the small boys here smoked cigarettes like veterans and he thought this was a matter | that might very properly receive attention. SPOKE AS W. C. T. U. WOMAN. Mrs. G. Rogersthen spoke asd W. C. T. U. woman. She had noticed the growth of evil in Be: midji ‘and thought something could be done to check it. MRS. BROOMFIELD’S EXPERIENCE, Mrs. Broomfield, wife of the Baptist minister, then talked. Before coming to Bemidji she had heard so very much about the town that she told her friends she honestly felt as though she was going to the bad place. She had found these stories to be largely exaggerated. She was sorry for the example that the children received here and she hoped all good people would rall to improve-conditions, > A STRANGER IN THE CITY. Rev. Jameson, of Duluth, a stranger in the city, had heard & an unsavory reputation. He be- lieved this movement would have a wholesome effect and he was sincerely pleased to seeit started. If Bemidji would purify itself great deal about Bemidji. It had | and all proportion men for stripes, from 32 to all lengths, worth $2.50 to $3, for in* blue and jaeger gray, size and quality for . sizes, worth 75¢, for Broken lines of ou Se-e and ends in men’s and boys’ furnishings, shoes and winter underwear. Savings of 25, 35, 40, 50 and 60 per cent are now in your favor r best selling goods---odds $12 and $15 extra heavy all wool suits, splendid pat excellently tailored, garments all sizes 250 pairs of men’s cassi- mere suits, hair lines and $1.88 Wright's health underwear ‘Men’s wool fleeced under- wear, jaeger gray colors, $9.75 35 pairs M. A. Packard & Co.’s shoes for men, box calf, vicikid and velour calf, all sizes, new lasts, worth oo 20 $1.98 Flannel shirts, in black, brown and fancy patterns, properly made $1 quality, for . 650 Colored stiff bosom and golf style $1.50 and $1.25 shirts, good ma- tetrials, nobby effects, all sizes, at ¢hoice for S 690 s for men and young 42 waist, any 79¢ .a8e « .