Page:Upbuilders by Lincoln Steffens.djvu/222



He found that the Denver saloons had wine- rooms, and that not only boys, but girls, were allowed in them and ruined. The law forbade these places to women, but the law wasn’t en- forced. Why ? Everybody knows, in a general way, why. Denver is a typical American city government, and Lindsey, a former member of the Democratic State Executive Committee, knew, in a general way, the reason for a “liberal” excise policy. It helped business. When cow- boys and miners and other visitors came to town, they wanted to have a good time, and it was good for all business to help them spend their money. But the Judge saw that however good for business it might be to neglect to enforce the wine-room law, it was bad for the children; and he put that view of it before the Police Board. He knew well the president, Frank Adams, and the members of the Board. Frank is a Democrat, like Ben, so Ben urged Frank to enforce the law in the interest of the children. The Judge also addressed the Chief of Police. The Chief couldn’t do anything but refer the letters to the Board, which wouldn’t or, at any rate, didn’t, do anything. The Judge then proceeded in his own way to compel the Board to enforce this law.

Colorado is a great place for injunctions. The “interests” there use the courts very much as