St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-04-20
MANY men MADE MAD
Business Men Call on Mud
SINGERS to Show Up or
Shut UP.
They Say These Groundless
Charges Will Hurt the :
City's Standing.
Some More Ex-Ofiicials Deny
That Any Thieving Is ).
Going On.
Germans Select Candidates
at a Secret Meeting--The
Political Field.

at a Secret Meeting--The
Political Field.
The decent men who have heretofore
voted the Republican ticket and who
have been staunch members of that
party, have become so disguised with
the mud singing tactics of this cam
paign that those who are handling the
mud are getting badly scared and de-
moralized. The failure to produce any
evidence, direct or indirect, of single
criminal act on the part of the city
officials after the infamous charges
that have been made is beginning to
prove a boomerang, and the shrewd ones
of the party are trying to get a let-up on
these dirty methods. The level-headed
men of the party who do not get rabid
over campaign, know that the city is
not in the hands of gang of thieves.
And they resent the foul SANDERS
which are being scattered broad
cast by the partisan press.
While they, themselves, know that
these things bob up at every election.
and count for nothing at home, where
the men who have charge OF the city
government are known. and where the
city's prosperity needs no voucher, they
also know that these stories are eagerly
gobbled up by rival cities and pro-
claimed as facts to the vast detriment
of the fair name and fame of the city of
st. Paul. Real estate holders and men
who have other property interests here
on all sides are arousing themselves
on this point, and they call in loud
tones for the mud singers to prove their
base assertion or for the
GOOD NAME OF THE CITY
In which they live, to let up. Such was
the talk all through the business part of
the city yesterday. Business men,
without regard to party, said they were
tired of seeing these lies, which must
inevitably result in harm to the city's
credit, spread recklessly through the
columns of portion of the city press.
They did not relish the idea of having it
sent broadcast that the city's affairs are
managed by gang of reckless villains.
And they expressed surprise that
reputable newspapers, which were
supposedly loyal to the city's in
terests. should so far forget
themselves as to allow their columns to
be used by few soreheaded politicians
whose only object was to serve their
own narrow interests in political cam
paign. 81
Some of the leaders of the party
also saw their mistake and and were
doing their best in a quiet way to dodge
the return of the boomerang. 1t was
even rumOred that one or two of the
men whose names are on the Republican
ticket as candidates had threatened to
withdraw if there was not let up on
this sort of thing. They said they
must decline. to lend their names to
any such gross Misrepresentation and
such indecent and outrageous party
methods. This startled the camp to an
history of campaigns here. and a few
who had been loudest in their cries of
Doodle, were around yesterday trying to
call off the dogs.
Nobody was heard to kick at any at
tempts to show up actual thieving.
What the business men and some of the
candidates wanted was to get a SWeeter
smelling sort of wind out Of the cam
paign bellows, unless there were actual
and necessary filth behind the breeze.
Here is what some of the eX-city
officials who are known to be honorable
men had to say about the Doodle cry:
GATES A. JOHNSON.
Gates A.JohnsOn, the present building
inspector, was interviewed by GLOBE
reporter yesterday, and expressed HIM
self in the following unmistakable
language: Il was for over nine years a
member of the city council, and in all
the time | served in that body | never
saw anything or suspected anything
that approached boodleiSm. | have
been upon several of the most import
ant cOmmittees-was on the committee
on streets for six yearS-and [ have had
intercourse with all of the city officials.
l was member of the council when
Mr.. Prendergast was first elected city
clerk, and during his entire time up to
the last two years, and l never saw
more conscientious, upright man
in any position, and ] may say the same
thing of every one of the city officers
that ever had anything to do with. l
do not believe there is more honestly
conducted city government this coun-
try than ours has been ever since | was
first connected with it in 1870. do not
know that could say anything more.
cause | feel senSitively that men who
have tried to do as well as Tom Prem
dergast and the other city officials have
done should not be attacked in such
vile and unmanly way"
C. E. OTIS.
Said Ex-Ald. G. E. Otis: 81 was in
the council five years and l never saw
anything that had the slightest appear
ance of bOodleiSm. nor did ever see
any indication but that every member
of the council and every city official was
trying to do his duty faithfully and
to serve the best interests of the city.
Only once, to my knowledge, was any
member approached in an improper
manner, and that was in reference to
the fire engines. The party was imme-
diately exposed by the party approached,
and great indignation expressed by
every member of the council. I don't
believe there was any corruption while
PrendergaSt is concerned, [ think him
one of the most efficient, upright
officials the city ever had, and it is inn
possible to improve upon him.
''When the Republican party and Re-
publican press assault man like Tom
Prendergast, it merely shows that they
make such charges without the slightest
foundation"
H. II. FULLER.
Henry FL. Fuller for years held re-
sponsible position in the city engineers
Office. He does not know of any Doodle
schemes. Il don't think there is a
city that is better governed than
st. Paul." said he. 81 know about the
engineering department, and l know
that it is well handled. This talk of
Doodle is simply campaign boSh. If the
papers that raise the howl know any
facts, it is their business to show them
up. Why don't they come down to par
ticulars? 1t is simply disreputable
and dishonest method of carrying on a