St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-06-22
ITLOOKS Rad.

uC dIICob VI JuO u1AuuSuPOiic VIM
meratOrs has been the sensation of the
past week. Our sister city up the river
has been wonderfully excited. and evil
IDENTIFY indignant that there should have
been charge of fraud in the taking of
her census. While there has been no
excitement in St. Paul, there has been
a decided public interestand desire to
ascertain the facts.
The GLOBE has endeavored to treat
the whole matter judicially, rather than
to discuss it from partisan standpoint.
Our aim has been to give the news,
without coloring, and we have stu
diously refrained from expressing an
opinion in advance of the production OF
the testimony. 1t has, unfortunately,
been one of those cases that is more
apt to be tried at the bar Of pub
lie opinion off-hand than to await
the slow proceedings of the law. In
such cases the sooner a judicial investi-
CATION and determination can be
reached the better it is for all parties
concerned. The GLOBE does not be-
lieve in the righteousness Of verdicts
rendered by public opinion, especially
where they are given in the absence OF
all testimony. Hence we have re-
Trained from a discussion of the matter
until the proof could be submitted.
We now say, without any sort of hest
tation, that it was grave mistake on
the part of the Minneapolis people that
they did not insist upon an open inves-
tigation OF the case last Friday. We
say it was their mistake, because no
amount of sophistry or glamor can con-
vince an intelligent and impartial
public that District Attorney HAY
was not representing Minneapolis
interests exclusively when he asked
for continuance. We have pro-
ceeded all along upon the the
DRY that the honest, Intelligent and
thoughtful classes of Minneapolis peO-
pie were as anxious as any one else to
discover whether or not fraud existed,
and if it did exist to punish the perpe-
traitors. We still hold to that theory,
for we believe that the bulk of the
Minneapolis population is just as anx-
iouS for all honest count in its returns
as the people of st. Paul are. But they
have been placed in wrong light be-
fore the country by the action of the
district attorney in declining to push all
| investigation when concealment of the
facts, or an attempted cOncealment,
would be construed by the outside pub
! lie into confession of guilt. The con-
tents of those six bags that were cap
tured in the Vanderburgh block should
have been made public last Friday when
the case was up before the United
States commissioner. In justice to the
accused and in justice to the people of
Minneapolis, sit was all-important that
the government should show its hand in
the beginning of this prosecution. II
there was nothing in all the testimony
to justify the holding of the prisoners
they were entitled to an acquittal. On
the other hand, if the testimony devel
oped probability of guilt, then all the
ends Of justice demanded that the in
vestigation should have been immedi-
ate and thorough. We appeal ito the
sober sense of the Minneapolis people
themselves for confirmation of this as
sertion.
1t Is not the purpose of the GLOBE tt
cast reflection upon the good name O.
our sister city, nor to question the in
tegrity of her people. We had hoped
that they would manifest some eager
ness for a prompt legal investigation
last Friday. And when we were disap
pointed in that we waited another da,
III the hope that there would be som'
public disapproval of Mr.. HAYS con
duct. But as we are again disappoint
ed, we are free to say to our Minneapo
lis friends that they have prejudicet
their case in public estimation. and viii
be held guilty at the bar of puDli
opinion of deliberate attempt to fal
sify their census returns, unless the,
take prompt and vigorous measures t
acouit themselves of the accusation
1t is not a matter to be laughed dow
or to be silenced by clamor, nor will
public attention be diverted from tn
facts by the cry that it is a st. Pau
persecution.