St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-04-20
THE CITY ELECTION.

| business TO form the acquaintance OIL
the voters. and his method of doing it
fully confirms all that his party organ
said of him. 1t is safe to assert that
the people of st. Paul never witnessed
such disgusting exhibition of dema-
gogism as that now being illustrated in
| the canvass conducted by the Repub-
lican candidate for mayor. and it is to
be devoutly hoped they will never see
the like again. The spectacle of man
aspiring to the exalted station Of the
chief magistracy of great city like
| this making personal canvass of the
slum districts of the city, soliciting
votes and casting drag net for the
bum element by the indiscriminate
promise of patronage that he could not
have control of in the event he were
elected mayor, is sight to humiliate
every citizen who feels pride in the
good name of the city and who has a
conscientious regard for decent govern
ment
The fact that the Republican mayor
atty candidate is either new or reckless
in politics, and probably both, is dem
onstrated by his utter disregard for his
own statements. In illustration, he
caused to be published in Friday morn
| ing's papers an interview with himself.
in which he made the most emphatic
declarations concerning certain matters;
yet that very evening he made public
| speech in which he contradicted him.
self in every particular, and did it with
out the least apology for an explanation
of the contradiction. Guided by the
single purpose of being all things to all
men and nothing in particular. he is
hunting for votes with the reckless
abandon of pirate crew in pursuit Of
spoils.
J An equal division among the nation
alities of municipal offices is one of Col.
KIEFER's favorite campaign cries; and
with recklessness born of despair
he promises every voter who comes in
t sight the choice of the offices. At low
estimate twenty individuals have been
| promised the position Chief CLARK now
| occupies, perhaps as many more have
| had promise of Chief JACKsoN's place;
| the list of men who have been promised
| positions on the various boards is per-
haps as long as the registry list in any
ward Of the city, aud there isn't a man
on the Bohemian flats or in Swede hol-
| low but has had the promise of being
| made policeman or of being provided
with place OH the street force. These
reckless promises are made, too. with the
| full CONSCIOUSNESS that all the Offices
within the gift of the mayor can be
/ counted Oil the fingers of one hand, and
that he is absolutely without power to
remove city official or employee except
for good cause.
We might be content to enjoy the
| righteousness of Col. kIEFER'S unique
campaign in silence if it were not for
| the fact that he is the candidate of a
party for the highert municipal office,
| and thus in measure the fair fame
| and the good name of the city are in
volyed. We have reviewed his cam
| palgn tactics with view Of impreSSing
upon the reputable element the better
class of our eitiZenS-thOse who have
property interests at stake, and those
| Who have the welfare and reputation
| of the city at heart-the folly and
danger of lending support or encour-
agement to a ticket with such reckless
leadership. 1t is one of Col. KIEFER's
| boasts that he is flanked by an alder
| manic ticket which sails under his flag ::
and the Justice of his claim is enforced
| by the conditions of his nom nation.
| There is an implied pledge on the part
! of the Republican aldermanc candi-
dates to support KIEFER's administra-
ton in case he and they are elected.
| What that administration will be can be
| Judged by the quality of the campaign
he is conducting. And we would like
to ask the intelligent voters of st.
| Paul if they are willing to commit the adj
ADMINISTRATION of their municipal affairs
into the hands Of a person who eXcels
in nothing but demagogism; who has
never exhibited the faintest conception
of the dignity and responsibility of the
exalted station to which he aspires; who
has no regard for the proprieties of
official station, and who has no interest
in the commercial or industrial develop
ment of the city. The record of Mayor
| SMITHS two terms, during which m u
nicipal affairs have been conducted with
honesty and ability, and under whose
administration the city has continued
to grow and prosper, is the surest guar
antee of what he will do if entrusted
with another lease of official power,
and of what municipal administration
will be in case the aldermanic ticket
sailing under his flag is elected. Mayor
SMITHS campaign is being conducted
Oh plane of dignity and decency in
bright comparison with Col. klEFER's
tactics, and we have no fear but that
the good people of this city will demon-
strate their Partially for reputable gov
ernment by re-electing him by the
largest majority ever given to a mayor
atty candidate where there was con-
test for the place.
There is another matter of equal i'm
portance in connection with the APP
preaching municipal election. The last
resort of minority parties is being re-
sorted to in certain quarters-that of
advocating the election of a mongrel
aldermanic ticket. Usually this is being
done by the Republican leaders and a
few sore-head Democrats, and under the
specious plea of getting the best men.
Our advice. too. is to elect the best, and
yet we unhesitatingly say the best men
are on the Democratic ticket. The ex-
pertinent of electing mongrel council
was tried at the last municipal election
and we think the people of this city
have enough of it. The proper thing
for the voter to do is to vote for the best
ticket, and to vote it straight. In this
way, and in this way only, can parties
be taught to make none but clean nom.
nations.
is 1T DANGER Gus?