St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-04-14

n
1 representatives of the people among the
leading nations of the world. We are OF the
people and have, for the time being. but tenn
porary titles and distinctions. We are but
/ their servants and their masters. Our
| fundamental principle of government
i is that the majority snail rule
and that is why we are here to-day.
Gentlemen, in building up great city like
| ours has grown 10 be, your first duty will be
\ to ascertain in what direction you can shape
your legislation in order TO do the greatest
| good 10 the greatest number OF your fellow
1 citizens In order 10 accomplish this rep
| resentative of the people must divest himself
| OF his private theories and prejudiceS, and,
| elevating his standard 10 II point which in
Il cludes the general fellowship of men, he
| should extend equal rights TO all. The prin-
cipal corner stone upon which our national
structure was built was inscribed with life,
| liberty and the pursuit of happiness. -
| Another contains these words: "a govern
meut of the people, by the people and for
people
THE GREATEST DANGER
we encounter in our free government is that
frequently a majority in taking the reins of
power assume that the minority have lost ev-
erything except thar which the majority
may be pleased TO grant them.
il is this narrow and contracted
idea which leads the oppressed 10
revolutions and bloOdshed. Tue man who
stands in the minority has Just as many
rights which are sacred to him as the man
who trains with the victorious host. o,rather
let US extend the hand of charity TO van
quished foe and not require him TO sacrifice
his manhood and fall down and worship what
are TO him false gods. Give unto all ''life,
liberty and the pursuit OF happiness If we
would build up government which shall COM
mand the respect OF all creeds and rationale
ties. ANY creed or nationality which con-
dennis as bad everything which falls outside
OF its tenetS, viii sooner or later 20 to the
wall-forced there by liberal-minded people
VINO are rapidly sundering the ties of hypoe-
risy and prejudice which have heretofore
bound them. The people are becoming edu-
Gated, and on this, more than any other bless
ing, will our country depend for her safety
and future greatness. Bigotry and hypocrisy
are fast becoming powerful factors of the
past while enlightenment grounded upon
right and justice is rapidly coming to the
front.
The most important question now before
the people of the country, aud one in which
the acts of your honorable body must neces-
sarily become an important factor, is that OF
the rights Of the laboring classes. The wage
workers compose nine-tenths OF our popula-
ton. Their ranks contain very large pro-
portion of the brains and intelligence Of
every community. They have for years
labored under the disadvantages incident to
bad leadership and DISCRIMINATION. These
are fast being overcome and the mighty host
and demanding that capital, while il is thor
oughly protected and given fair returns. shall
not crush its producers into the dust. While
do not belong to either of these great con-
tending forces, / believe there is much jus
tice in the demands of organized labor. be-
lieye that organized labor
Is THE FIRMEsr FRIEND
that capital has. aud, believing this, I viii
stand by it as long as its representatives are
conservative. And in this connection, with
desire only for the general public welfare,
recommend to your honorable body that an
ordinance be passed making eight hours a
days labor for all employees of the city, and
that upon all public works labor cease at 3
o clock on Saturday. further recommend
that no work be done by contract which can
BE- properly carried on by the day under city
officials. and that no wages less than s.. 80 per
day be paid any employe OF the city. / do
this knowing that the work heretofore done
could have been carried through on these
terms al less cost 10 the city than has been
done in the past. If there are TO be large
profits realized by contractors, 1 favor q sys-
tenn by which the wage workers shall have
these profits instead. Every dollar which goes
out as / suggest will return through the hands
OF our business men, and the whole people
will profit thereby. also recommend that no
contracts be let 10 non-residents for city work
that can be done by our own citizens, provided,
however, that this may be deviated from when
IL can be proven that the bids are exhorbitant
or the result Of q combination TO rob the city.
am decidedly in favor OF the passage OF IN
ordinance in opposition to the present con-
tract system, where it can be followed out
without detriment to the public good; and OF
placing the heaviest penalty By nne and i'm
prisonment upon any city official who shall
receive any bribe. be interested In any con-
tract from the city, or allow dollar of the
peoples money TO 20 wrong through his
hands. 1 desire that your honorable body
shall, by enacting q properly framed ordi-
nance. aid me in stopping the formation of
rings and combinations for the purpose OF
raiding the public treasury. / next ask of
you, gentlemen, that economy be practiced in
every bra ch of the city government. The
people are becoming tax-ridden aud cry aloud
for halt. The limit OF per cent. allowed
by law has been reached, and IL is time that
retrenchment and reform became something
more than political war cries. While / admit
there are many public necessities 10 meet on
account OF our wonderful growth. still be-
lieve, with proper economy upon your part,
you can meet all the positive demands and
still keep within our legitimate resources.
i now come 10 a subject OF minor import
ance to me; but still it was made the bug
bear OF the recent political contest. refer
10 the
PATROL LIMIT AND HIGH LICENSE.
It is curious how, with all the great and i'm
portant questions which should naturally alb
sorb public attention in our rapid develop
ment into not only the metropolis but the
cosmopolitan city of the Northwest that
these insignificant questions should be made
so prominent. All the older cities of the
country have passed through the same tur-
MOL that we are now undergoing. 1t seems
that we cannot profit by the experience of
the passive must of necessity put our own
fingers against the stove before we will bs;
convinced that it is red hot. On general
principles am opposed to this dead line
abomination because believe il to be a relic
of puritanism unworthy of the times aud age.
calities place the power in your legislative or
executive branches OF the government TO
carry out the will OF the people.
As IL is now the 'dead line" was drawn to
punish certain parties, and during til e
political contest just closed this same dea d.
line argument was used for the purpose OF
intimidating voters. IL this imaginary line
is 10 be drawn ar every election for party pur-
poses, IL were better for decency's sake that
it be obliterated. Ny most serious objection
TO the patrol limit as established is that IL has
not in the least sense of the word ac-
complished the alleged purposes for which il
was drawn. There is as much LIQUOR con-
sumed outside of the line as there would be
IL il were not there. Ii has built ND a few
hundred GROCERIES in corner groceries, drug
stores and "blind pigs" and trained up
A CLASS OF LAw-BREAKERs
who escape the high license and sell as much
liquor and beer as their neighbors across the
street, who have to pay $500 each. Now, IL
your honorable body desire TO keep up a