St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-01-22
THE IlENAu BILL.

The GLOBE Endorses the general idea
of Senator LIENAU's bill introduced
Yesterday, in reference to st. PauFS
charter. which provides for the election
at the polls by the people, at the next
municipal election. of nine commission
ers whose duty it shall be to revise the
city'S plan of government The result
of their work at the next general cleo
ton thereafter is to be submitted to the
voters, and if approved of by them is to
be adopted as the city's charter.
The GLOBE approves of this plan, If
there is to be any general change at all
made in our present system, because
the GLOBE is a Democratic newspaper.
and believes in government by the peo-
pie. There is no legend more clearly
stamped on the banner Of the Democ-
racy than local self-government, and
if any one has the right to say what
style of a constitution the people of st.
Paul shall live under, it is the people of
st. Paul. The principle of the LIENAU
bill secures this, and it ought to prevail
There are some wild asses whom even
the plains of Borneo cannot accom-
modate. They spread over the face of
the earth, and we hear their eloquent
braying in Minnesota. Such are they
who say that the people of the city can
not be trusted to devise charter for
themselves, but must be forced under
the domination of one devised for them
in the secret councils of few would-be
leaders. The GLOBE denounces this
thought as disloyal aud reasonable. If
we cannot be left to govern ourselves
with safety, then we might as we'll furl
our flag and admit that American insti-
tutions are failure.
The GLOBE denies with all the inten-
sty of just Indignation that the sta
biiity and credit of our great city are in
jeopardy. 1t bids every citizen look
upon the spectacle of partisan press
villifying tie character OF the mother
who bore and has sucked it, Ill the hope
of small partisan advantage. The
GLOBE cries shame to the lying tongues
which, wagging for the wages of the
local Republican ring, declare that st.
Paul is on the verge of bankruptcy.
Every time this foul herd of harpies has
presented itself at the polls the loyal
| men of this city have driven them away
with blows and eXecrations. What
scant food the organs of these corrup-
tons have lived on since they were
born. the bountiful city of st. Paul has
given them. 1t is the mother of us all,
and the faiTest municipality on the face
of the earth, with the happiest past and
the grandest future. The GLOBE and
every good citizen loves this city. The
GLOBE holds aloft the mace of gratitude,
affection and loyalty, and, i'll the name
of all decent men, demands that the
tradnceTS of st. Paul shall be still.
We do not wish to be misunderstood.
If there are evils ana mistakes in our
city government, let them be removed.
If there should be more limitations put
around the pledgng of the city's credit,
let this be done. If there are errors in
methods and extravaganza in ex-
pendltures, let them be stopped. All
this can be done by intelligent and judi
cious amendments to our present well
tried system, under which we have pros
pered and grown 10 our greatness. But,
if we are to oyerturn all our institutions
and substitute others for them, the
GLOBE insists that the reasons for the
change shall appear, that some motive
other than partisan thirst for Office
shall be revealed, that the friends and
not the traducers of the city shall I'M
dertake the task, and that the work
shall be done openly and in the sight of
all men by experts, who by training and
experience are equal to it.
The GLOBE declares that week Of
! time devoted to the task by single
man with no sufficient ability or equip
ment cannot produce a charter fit for
this great city. There never was in the
| history of the country such an oppor-
tunity as st. Paul has to apply all the
advanced principles of modern munic-
ipal government There is not single
natural monopoly. with the exception
| of her street car system, which she will
| not be able to secure control of in the
next few years. There never was such
union of room and demand for con-
certed effort on the city's part for the
advancement of enterprises of munich
| pal Importance. We want charter
which will secure the growth of the city
| and be expansive enought to fit it when
| it is grown. The GLOBE says beware of
the midnight musings of the parti san.
Let us 60 at this most important work
| slowly. carefully, skillfully.
The GLOBE approves of the LIENAU