St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-12-26
SOME PARTISAN PLANS.
Talk of the Police Commission and
Gerrymandering the City.
Unvarnished Statements Of Facts Re-
gardfng These Schemes.
"Will there be a police commisslon?"

evil there be police commisslon?"
This question was asked in a prominent
place yesterday. and has been asked per-
haps by hundreds without having received
an answer. Ii is important to the people
of Minneapolis to know whether there viii
be any such board as contemplated fastened
upon them, and the question has really
never been calmly and dispassonately dis
cussed, without partisan bearing and feel
ing that the matter was not decidedly neg
atived. There may be a reason why po-
lice commission, per Sc. is desirable, but no
such commission as has been proposed.
The people possess now all the authority in
the appointment and regulation of the po-
lice. and they will not willingly relegate
this power to a source which they cannot di-
relectly and summarily hold responsible.
To appoint commission in either of the
ways proposed. would do what the peopleiwili
never be willing should be done. On the
one hand it is proposed to give the appoint
ing power to the governor, who in all
probability may not be Minneapolis man;
who would know nothing of the necessities
and wishes of the Minneapolis people, and
who would be governed in his appointments
solely by the wishes of his political friends.
On the other hand, it is proposed to vest the
power in the district judges, who do not
wish it, cannot consistently administer it,
| and who would, in the administration OF it.
| lose the non-partiSan character in which
| the public wish to consider them. Neither
plan is at all desirable, and neither will
| prevail.
There will be no commission of the char
acter proposed, simply because the people
| do not wish, and have not asked for it.
| There are one or two honest and sincere
gentlemen who have connected themselves
| with the movement fayOring the com
mission, but their motives, though pure,
have been swallowed up in the sinister
motives of those who. in the secresy OF a
| lOcked-dOor session, originated the IDEA.
Their entire idea was to rob Mayor Ames
of his power in the appointment OF the po-
lice. There may be reasons why Mayor
Ames should be deprived of the power, but
the people will not submit to any such
| scheme They gave him the power and if
they wish him now to lose it they will take
| it from it. The people may wish police
commission, but if they do it will be be-
cause a commission is a good thing, and not
because certain gentlemen have sprung it
as means to politically kill Ames. Thus
| far the police commission is the FIRST step
| of a scheme mapped out to restore the Re-
| publicans to power in Minneapolis, which
| they think can only be done when AmeS is
| out of the field. These certain gentlemen
! have made ND their minds that Ames, much
I as they affect to despiSe him. blocks their
way to political supremacy and they want
| to dispose of him. The people can depuSe
him, but this star chamber session can
never. So, having decided they want a
police commission they say, 1--WE. the
! people. want it," and proceed to arrange
| the details, which is. perhaps. premature.
| There is another step in this scheme, OF
which little is heard just now. 1t is to
| gerrymander the city into twelve wards.
| They hoped, by this means. to prevent
what now seems ineVitable-the council
falling into the hands of the Democrats
next spring. Apparently, the very trans
parency of this Sceeme has condemned it.
| though it is opposed by nearly everybody
on its merits. What the people want is
not more wards but more precincts, and the
council has full authority to do that To
redistrict the city into wards would be to
legislate out of Office the present aldermen,
| three of whom are members Of the legisla-
ttre-Senators Swenson and Clough and
Representative ClOutier. 1t is understood
that they all oppose it as an unnecessary
political move.
One other potent reason exists why all Of
this city matter will cut no figure in the
legislature, and that the delegation will
lose no time and fritter away no strength
in useless measures. The last delegation
was censured for being unmlndful OF the
citys real interest-laboring with small
affairs, while st. Paul scooped in the entire
urban territory, and the present members
are not going to sow to the same wind.
They will not be guided by these partisan
ideas. They have not got it in for Ames."
They will leave it to the people in the
spring election to indOrse or rebuke his
administration as the case may be.