St. Paul daily globe., 1885-03-07
THE COUNCILS DUTY nv THE RE-
DTSTRICTING MATTER.

The legislature having adjourned without
falling into the folly of enacting the partisan
bill which provided fA redistricting the city
of st. Paul. and having conferred upon the
city council the power to rearrange the ward
subdivisions of the city. the GLOBE respect
fully suggests that it would be good time
now for the council to taks the matter under
advsement. But, before proceeding to take
definite action in the matter, the council
should be careful to ascertain exactly what
inequalities exist under the present subdi-
vision in order TO act intelligent ly and with
the purpose to do justice to all interests. In
order to do this it may be best to remit
discussion of the question to the citizens OF
the various wards, in their primary capacity,
and ask them to take such action as may be
necessary to bring to the knowledge of the
council the exact condition of the different
wards as at present constituted. Or, the
people of the city who feel an interest in
these matters might be requested to assem-
ole in the chamber of commerce and
in a public way exchange views and
suggestions and thus arrive at some
thing tangible as basis for the action
of the council. Above all things let there
be publicity and fair dealing in determining
a question of so much importance to all the
people of the city, and let there be no repeti-
ton of the sculduggery attempted to be prac-
ticed upon the Legislature by the advocates of
the redistricting bill. It is matter essen
TALLY affecting st. Paul interests, and the
Legislature as a body could have no satisfac-
tory knowledge upon purely local PROPOSE
ton about which the Deople OF the locality
were divided in sentiment, and it did very
wise thing in remitting thc whole subject to
the city government for adjustment. If inc
qualities exist, and it is probable they do,
then let the city council adopt the GLOBE
suggestion to equalize them, and let it be
done intelligently and in spirit of fairness,
and with desire to be just to all interests.
Even though the city government be Demo-
cratic there is no reason why the measure
should be made to serve partisan ends. The
iniquty of the bill proposed in the legisla-
ture was largely in the fact that it was
scheme for partisan purposes, in the hope
that partisan Legislature would commit it
self to the measure without regard to the
equities in the case.
What we want is a redistricting OF
the city which will be beneficial to
all the people of the city without
regard to whether they be Democrats or Re
publicans, and deal justly with every
interest involved. And it should not be
done in a sneaking way, nor should the party
lash be applied to bulldoze recalcitrant parti-
sans whose conscicnces and best judgment
revolted against the infamy OF using their
power to consummate wrong Let every
thing be done in the light of MONDAY and
let nothing be hid under busbel.
1t does not necessarily follow in any redis-
tricting scheme that the number of wards
should be increased. On tie contrary, the
tendency in the larger cities of the East is to
bring about reform in municipal govern
ment by reducing the number of wards, and
to bring the city government into the hands
of as few individuals as it is possible to have
to give fair representation of the general
con stituency and to discharge all the public
duties required in manner compatible
with the public interests. After a full dis
cussion and fair investigation of all features
OF the subject, the council may find it advanta-
geous to reduce the number of wards and to
cut down the number of city officials. But,
be this as it may, let everything that is done
be done fairly, squarely and justly to the
best interests of the city. Upon this basis,
and upon no other, do We advocate propo-
sition to redistrict.