Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-06-03
reE rHE RryG.

The wide-opeD policy. with ali max
the term implies. is triumphant la
ST. Paul. The corrupt ring that has
municipal affairs for so
many wears scores vet another VIC
tory, and the people bow their necks
willingly 70 the yoke Of their masters
There will be no reforms made in the
next two years. The real rulers OF
the city viii continue to direct its ex-
penditures 70 their OWE profit. The /
various departments will continue 10 1
be run as parts Of s political machine
and not on business principles. The
police force viii still be q powerful /
factor at the polls Public contracts
will furnish their usual share of pri-
vAte plumber and the millions that are |
tc, be expended will pass through the
sticky hands that handle the public |
funds. The saloons viii defy the lsw |
more boldly and confidently than |
ever The gambling hell will be re.
opened, and thieves aud outlaws will |
follow in its train to the paradise |
which they are notified exists for
them The business OF the municipal
court will be administered in spirit
that haFmonizes with such a regime
And the accounts of the city will be
kept secret whenever and for as long
as may be necessary, and finally pub
lished, II ever, only after passing the
inspection of the ring. These plain and
uRdeniable propositions, devoid Of all
personalities and destitute of exag-
geratiou, contain the simple meaning
Of yesterdays election. Nor are the
results less easily diseerned and sum-
married than are the causes TO which
they are due.
Never, in any city, was the fight
for reform made against more tremen-
dous odds than those offered to il
here. There was concentrated on the
side of the Democratic ticket host
Of influences, any one of which was
an essential advantage, and all of
which combined were practically
overwhelming in the dead weight of
resistance which they offered to the
pleaders for an honest administration.
First among them is the fact that the
whole power of the city government
was in the hands of the ring, and that
il was used without stint or scTuple 10
carry the day. The city hall planned
the campaign, and knew where TO
find men and means to carry 1t out
All the vast patronage of the city was
at the command of the Democratic
managers. The police force became
their special political agents. To
those grown skillful by long practise,
and stimulated by the prospect of rich
pickings in the future, the possession
of power is force that can be used
with deadly effect TO compel contin.
uance. This advaatage the city hall
ring had, and it has from the begin
ming made the most of it.
Behind those who profited by pub
lie patronage stood from 500 TO 600
saloons in solid rank. For this cleo
ton, every saloon-keeper was wide
opener and a worker of the most ar
dent sort. BY law the saloons were
closed during the day. Every man
belonging TO them was at the polls,
and most of them stayed there all day
long, doing effective work among the
classes whom they best know how to
influence. The fight could not have
been made more determined if high
license, or even prohibition, had been
the question. These saloons, count
ing the number of voters that each
could control directly or indirectly,
tailed well into the thousands for the
ticket that assured them of freedom
from even the pretence of surveil-
lance. Aud to this contingent were
added thousands of young men who
quietly cast their votes for wide
open" policy. The nameless thing
was an element in this contest, and
the fiutter of scarlet garments deter.
mined many a vote.
To these were added yet two other
influences too strong TO be successfully
combated. Easily first of them, if
not first Of all the causes that led to
yesterdays result, is the immense
personal popularity of Mr.. Rice
With any other candidate represent
ing the Democracy, the city would
have been redeemed, even against the
combination of the ring and the
saloons. The ring itself was early
cognizant of the fact, and its choice
of Mr.. Rice was The last and strong
est defence behind which Il could in
trench itself. He has host of per
sonal friends in both parties, men
who cannot think of him otherwise
than kindly, and who could hardly
bear To vote against him even in the
cause of public order. From the day
he was named by the convention 1t
has been uphill work for the reform.
ers TO fight against the glamor Of his
name; and this very consciousness
was depressing factor in the cam
paIgn. Then, finally, we have that
stubborn and rook-rooted apathy 10
which men who ought to be good
citizens resign themselves when local
affairs are concerned. We have new
or got rid of this curse of politics and
emasculator of citizenship. In spite
OF the universally conceded import
ssce of the issues, in spite of the
strongest efforts TO keep them interest
ed, in spite of all that they them.
selves had at stake, the voters did
not go 10 the polls as they ought to
have done. II would seem incredible
that indifference should go so far
were the proof of II not absolute.
The registration was some thousands
short Of the legitimate vote. And
yet the actual vote, as compared with
the hesitation, is light beyond what
any one had dreamed. The gam.
blers, the strikers, the bummers, the
saloonkeepers and al their friends
were on hand. The votes that stayed
at home were votes that should and
would have been given to the caass
of reform, had there teen any power
10 drag them out.
The moral of il all-the secret Of the
failure 10 throw off the rule of the
ring, the explanation of the election
Of municipal judge who Is, by the |
confession of his party associates, un. |
fit for that place, of tae election of a
controller who has deaed the Law and |
left duty nndene for years, the choice |
Of mayor whose former administra- |
tioB makes . record for him, obtain