St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-05-02
ALEGISLATIVE RECORD.
MIR. Merriam's Measures in the
State Legislature.


MIR. Merriam's Measures in the
State Legislature.
At the November election in 1882, W. R.
Merriam, the present Republican candidate
for mayor of st. Paul, was elected to the
state legislature from a district strongly
Republican, but it cost Mr.. Merriam, it is
said, nearly $1,000 to secure the prize.
This lavish expenditure of money excited
some comment at the time, but it was at
tributed to boyish ambition. The Subse-
uuent excitement of the senatorial fight,
which resulted in the overthrow of Window
and the election of Sabin, made Mr.. Mer-
RAM and his legislative career matter OF
small moment; but nevertheless he made a
record. 4 careful scrutiny of the Journal
of the House for the session of 1888, shows
that Mr.. Merriam fathered the following
FIFTEEN MEASURES.
Jan. 20. bill authorizing the county
of Ramsey. and city of st. Paul, to issue
bonds to build an almShOuse and hospital.
Passed under suspended rules.
2-Jan. %. a resolution allowing the
committee on public accounts and eXpendi-
turestof which Mr.. Merriam was a member)
a clerk at a salary of SIS per day. Passed
under suspended rules.
Same date, bill to amend chapter 81
of the special laws of the extra session Of
1881. Passed under suspended rules.
Jan. 20, bill to authorize the board
of education of st. Paul to issue bonds.
Passed under suspended rules.
5-Jan. 80, bill to provide for the ap-
proval and custody of the official bond of
state officers and of the treasurers of the
several public institutions of the state.
Passed later in the session.
6-Same date, bill to amend the general
laws relating to the deposit Of state funds.
Passed later in the session.
7-Same date, bill to amend chapter So
of general laws relating to the office of pub
lie examiner. Passed later in the session.
Same date, a bill to amend chapter 6,
general laws relating to the powers and du-
ties of public examiners. Passed later in the
session.
9-Feb 3, bill to amend general laws
concerning banks. Passed later in the
session.
1O-Feb. s, a bill to confirm a
certain ordinance of the city Of st. Paul.
Passed under suspended rules.
11-Same date, bill to provide for the
prompt accounting for funds in the hands
of the auditor and treasurer of state, and
for the controlling of all funds in the state
treasury. Passed later in the session.
12-Feb. Is, a petition relating to tenn
perance.
13-Fe b. 90, a bill to create new al
der1nanic district in the Sixth ward of the
city of st. Paul. Passed under suspended
rules.
14-Feb. 81, a joint resolu ion asking
congress to grant permission to bridge the
Mississippi at st. Paul. Passed under sus-
pended rules.
15-Feb. %, bill to amend an act to au-
thorize the county of Ramsey and city of
st. Paul to issue bonds. Passed under sus-
pended rules.
IN HIS OWN INTEREST.
It will be observed that measures num-
bered 5, 6, Z, s, 8 and II related to the bust
ness of banking, and that Nos. 1, 4 and Is
related to the issuance of bonds by the city
of st. Paul, in all of which Mr.. Merriam,
as banker, had large personal interest.
But his legislating in his own interest
did not cease there. By referring back to
the record it will be seen that No. 3, intro
duced Jan. %, is very innocent looking
measure. 1t merely reads:
"a bill to amend chapter 81 Of the special
laws Of the extra session of 1881"
The bill was rushed through as ''purely
local. measure, under suspended rules but
when closely examined it is found to con-
tain a well-developed ''woodchuck."
The chapter 81 referred to was in sub
stance ian act to authorize the common
council of the city of st. Paul to issue the
bonds of said city for the construction of a
free bridge across the Mississippi river
and it contained the provision that the
bridge should be built:
From point at or below Minnesota
street to point in the Sixth ward"
Mr. MerTiam's ''woodchuck" amendment
merely inserted in lieu of the above the fol-
lowing proviso:
THAT said bridge shall not be located be-
tween Robert and Commercial Streets"
The intent of the amendment was to kill
the bridge project. Below Commercial
street there are objections of a practical
nature to the construction of bridge, and
the proximity of Robert street to Wabasha
street would be an insuperable objection to
its construction at all. Mr.. Merriam, in
fact, was understood to be opposed to
booming West st. Paul. 1t was against
his interests, which lay entirely on this side
of the river. The bridge is going to be
built, however, and the people of West st.
Paul are determined to oppose MI. Merriam
for mayor en- masse, in order to prevent
1uItIl6I interference Will GIl6 pTOJ6CG.
ANOTHER ''wooDCHUCK."
Mr.. Merriam's measure No. 10 was the
biggest woodchuck of them all. 1t was
entitled:
ga bill to confirm certain ordinance of
the city of st. Paul"
1t. too, was rushed through under sus-
pended rules as purely local" measure
The city council of st. Paul had unwisely
relinguished by ordinance certain rights
reserved when the charter was granted to
the st. Paul Street Railway company The
most important of those rights was the
privilege of purchasing at any time the
equipment of the lines las the water works
were purchased) The ordinance which the
council had been wheedled into passing, on
the preteXt that the company wanted to
extend its lines and could not float its bonds
with this right reserved by the city, was in
danger of being repealed, as public senti-
ment was loudly demanding it. But Mr..
Merriam, who was a large stakeholder
in the company, cunningly got his bill
through the Legislature validating the ordi-
nance and forever preventing the city from
securing its rights. The bill was hardly a
law before Mr.. Merriam sold out every dol
lar of his stock, at handsome advance, to
its present Minneapolis owners. This in
famous violation of the public trust was a
fitting finish to his public career.
Such is Mr.. Merriam's record of two
months of public office.