St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-11-26
THE MEANING OF IT.

THE MEANING OF IL.
| To the Editor of the Globe:
NV theory as a Democrat is that the people
have the government they desire or deserve.
If the people have the power and capacity 10
govern themselves, and by neglect or any
vice fail to govern, they deserve any mlsgoV-
eminent which may be imposed upon them'
That they have the power to CONTROL dlrect
or influence their government effectively Will
not admit of question, but question is made
of their intellectual capacity by those OPP
posed in sentiment to popular government.
A Democrat may, however, not ADMIT sucu
incapaeity, and must necessarily assume tnat
in all cases of serious depravity in the gov
eminent, the prime fault lies with the great
source of political power, the people them
selves. and is the result of neglect OR other
vice prevailing with the great mass Oh
those invested with the elective franchise.
The municipal government of the city of
MINNEAPOLIS is not what it should be,
but is exactly what the people have
chosen hitherto. assume that majority OF
her people desire good, and honest and just
government: but have this majority been
true to their own interests in this matter OF
their city government? Have they endeaV-
ored to unite in giving expression to their de-
sire through the only available medium, the
ballot box? Such union, regardless of all Or
binary partisan considerations, should be-
come the purpose of all well-disposed citi-
zens as an obligation resting upon their high
est and most sacred social duty. Too much
attention has heretofore been centered upon
the Office of mayor, important as 1t Is in just
legal estimate, and too little upon the Tar
more important offices of alderman and judge
of our city court. Yet, as usurpation has IN
vested the mayors position with degree OF
consequence abnormally conspicuous IN the
exercise of authority by himself aud his I'M
mediate subordinates in the police force, his
failure to exert his authority, legal and as
sumed, in accordance with his promises as I'M
derstood by many of his supporters at the late
election to that office, and disclosure of gross
malversation in subordinate officers under his
direction, made in the shallow mockery OF
official inquiry under his immediate SUPER
vision and at his instance, just scrutiny and
unsparing criticism may with all proprlety
be directed to his Official action, so that the
people may intelligently determine to what
extent he has betrayed the high trust which
he sought and they conided to him on his
promises to exert his official powers in the
interest of reform, economy and good gov
eminent generally, and to what extent need
less extravaganza and official treachery have
been promoted with his sanction and by his
direction. In the part may take in this IN
pleasant duty would not censure unjustly,
nor deny any due consideration of charity
even, but desire only to get at the truth.
N. Il. HAUSER.
| Minneapolis, Nov. "a.
Without any intention of discussing at
this time the intimation concerning the neg
| lect of official duty on the part of the Min
| neapolis municipal officials, we do give
our assent to the general proposition laid
down by our correspondent that the people
themselves are entirely too neglectful in the
matter of selecting their municipal officers.
| By reason OF this negligence it often occurs
| that municipal governments lose their Demo-
cratic features and assume an autOcratic
caste. When officials perceive that they
can rely upon the submission of the people,
it becomes great temptation to abuse the
power with which they are invested as
well as to corrupt the municipal service.
To state the matter plainly, autocracy is
the bane Of municipal governments, in
which the opportunities are better for
the development of autocratc features
than in either the state or national
governments, and thus it is we
hear more of corrupt methods and prac-
tees among municipal officers than among
other official classes. 1t is always safer to
have municipal government under Demo-
cratic than Republican administration,
from the simple fact that autocracy is
the legitimate outcome of Republican ideas.
The Capitalization of power is essentially
Republican doctrine. Therefore you may
take two individuals, one Democrat and
the other Republican. and, everything else
being equal as regards ability, honesty and
capacity, it is safer to intrust power to the
Democrat than to the Republican, because
the political training and education of the
former disqualifes him from being an auto
crat. while those of the latter have a tendency
| to create distriist of the masses and con-
tempt for the popular will. And so it is that,
leaving all other considerations out of sight,
the GLOBE is free to say that the people OF
Minneapolis will never enjoy good munich
pal government until that city passes into
the control of Democratic administration.
The present malodorous condition of munic-
| ipal affairs in Minneapolis is the logical re-
suit of Republican government. and there is
| no possible hope for an improvement except
| in change of administration.