COMPROMISING WITH THE SALOONS.
By G.
WE are informed that a compromise between the mayor and saloon-keepers of Rochester, Minn., has been concluded. The saloon-keepers “agree and promise as honorable men to close at eleven o’clock Saturday night, and keep closed until five o’clock Monday morning” on condition that licenses be granted them for another year, and the mayor evidently enters into the agreement, as he says that he will see that the pledge is carried out. A local paper is quoted as saying that “it is one of the encouraging signs of the times that saloon-keepers themselves are uniting to close their places of business in compliance with law.” That “encouraging sign of the times” has some queer features. It implies that the saloon-keepers see a danger of losing their licenses altogether, and by offering to limit their trade to six days in the week they win a decided victory. They not only retain their privilege on an equality with ordinary business enterprises, but gain the good-will of many professed temperance people because of the decision to do business in a law-abiding manner. It is no specially good “sign of the times” that men prefer to sell intoxicating drinks only six days in the week rather than to close out. It is no specially good sign to find officials, who have the power to close nests of crime all the time, compromising with dens of infamy on terms offered by the proprietors of such places. It is not a specially good sign of the times to see municipal officers willing to put the crime-breeding saloon business on a basis of legitimacy on condition that its conductors observe Sunday. It is not a good sign of the times to see municipal officials compromising with crime in any sense.