St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-11-07
SAINT PAUL.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.
MFR. Herbst Interprets Judge
Clark's Remarks and Delivers
a Lecture.

Lecture.
To the Editor of the Globe
Your reporter must, Internationally, have
mlsinterpreted the meaning of Hon. Green
leaf Clark in referring to the judges remark
as being based upon my resolution. The re-
mark was as follows: Il think this chamber
VIII have made an advance In one direction
when II learns to mind Its own business. /
presume the city railway company is able 10
manage lis own affairs, and doubtless pre-
fers TO do So"
The judge could certainly not have re-
ferred to my resolution unless he wished It
10 DC inferred that after our city had given
Lowry valuable franchises, which, in time.
Will be worth millions. and after st. Paul had
virtually given him full control of all our
streets, the management Of this franchise
and our streets was Lowry's 'own affairs"
and we hadn't word to say in the matter
Lowry undoubtedly thinks so, and so told
the committee deputed by the chamber of
commerce TO call on him regarding his LOW
ry's) failure TO fulfill his contracts with the
city, as meekly confessed by II. S. Fairchild
before the chamber yesterday morning.
Neither do think that the judge wished it
20 be inferred that the chamber had no right
to discuss public matters, and that 1t meets
every Monday simply for social chat about
their individual private business. If the
chamber of commerce is organized TO pro-
tect the public welfare of this city, and to
see that our prosperity does not suffer by 1ea-
son of abuse of public officials or by acts
done by public corporations. as well as the
organization of industries, etc., as l believe
that 1t is, the judge could not have alluded
to. my resolution, for the reason that its Qhe
resolution's) aim was to avert injury to our
physical as we'll as temporal welfare. since
tue discharge of competent conductors
and gripmen on the electric cars.
who were receiving only 20 cents
per hour and displacing them for green
and inexperienced hands, to the inconven-
fence and danger of the public, simply to
put into the company's hands three cents
per hour for each hand, IS certainly the peo-
pies concern, especially as the city railway
comoany's act might precipitate conse-
quences generally fatal to business pros
perity.
Another reason which inclines me to think
that the judges remarks could net have al
luded 10 my resolution is that the greater
share of the morning hour was occupied in
discussing the private affair of Lowry
with the city. regarding his failure to come
up TO his contract. Now, my resolution was
certainly more of public nature than the
question whether Lowry shall have a month
or SO more time and indulgence, as it was
generally conceded i'll the chamber that
Lowry had such strong hold upon this city
and that we were so poweriess under his
iron grasp that ne would do as he pleased
anyway. and that we could never
live up, to 1t. Hence my resolu-
ton might be of some public benefit. while
the one SO lengthily argued was like so much
lost breath, as Lowry would have his way in
spite of anything the chamber would do or
say: My resolution appealed 10 humanity
and justice, and might have had some effect
upon the human nature side of Mr. Lowry.
For these reasons l am inclined to think
that your reporter misconceived the drift OF
the judges remarks. and that the judge SIM
ply had in mind the rebuke Mr.. Lowry ad-
minlstered 10 the chambers committee when
it attempted to interfere with his private"
contract for the control of all of our public
streets. and when the park commissioners
administered a similar rebuke TO the chamber
OF commerce in ignoring its committee
which was chosen to confer with the park
commissioners regarding parks, and going
right ahead and attending to its private
business of buying parks, the same as if no
committee had ever been appointed by the
chamber. d. H HERssT
November 4, 1890.