St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-05-04

SOO0 .CiLILCii W CutCl pOiiblCS. DC
There are two elements which enter
into the making of great city; the one
is the natural advantage of location, the
other is men who have energy and
sense to take advantage of the oppor-
tunities. There is great deal of talk
about more factories. but there is much
too little effort to find out what factories
can be handled at this point with profit.
There is no bonus which can be paid
large enough to compensate for the
location of a business for which the
proximity OF raw materials and
market do not warrant a per-
manent success. If business is
destined to be losing one, it Will
only take time enough TO eat up any
bonus. however large. There are capt.
talistS in st. Paul who can command all
the money necessary to engage in any
profitable lines of manufacturing which
can be opened. What is particularly
needed just now is such study of the
situation, here and elsewhere, as to
show just what we can do at this point
TO advantage. Gifts of land for loca-
ton are all right, and donations of
money to pay the moving expenses OF
factories who can work as we'll here as
elsewhere, are right. But gifts of money
or other inducements which will give
US in few years crop of failures. we
do not want. The bursting OF manu-
featuring boom would be
Far More Dangerous
than the colIapsing of reai estate
craze. What we need is not simple en-
ergy and dash and enterprise, but these
proceeding by careful study and sober
Judgment to take advantage of our real
opportunities. l leave to others the
task of pointing out our undOubted adj
vantages and our strategic situation. |
believe in these as heartily as anybody,
and | have no question but that the
future will build up IN these two cities
a great metropolis of the Northwest.
But why should we be clamorous for
larger population? Most of the evils
and burdens which are upon us have
resulted from the very rapidity
of our past growth, almost un-
precedented in the history of the
world. Size is no proof of health i'll a
city, any more than it is in a man. Its
the healthy action of all the organs of
the body which betoken physical health,
and so it is the prosperity, thrift and
happiness of all the classes in commu-
nifty which make up municipal health.
view with alarm the thought Of the in
curslon Of large bodies of people who
SIldli dQN SiIiplN CildOtiO
to our social order before we have fixed
our traditions, have confronted and
solved our problems, and have come to
a common agreement among ourselves.
He cOmplimented the work of the legis-
lative delegation, which he declared
credit to the community. The reorgan-
iZatiOn of the city council, the unifica-
ton of our affairs and the concentration
of power and responsibility are all in
the right direction. Some of us will be
ready to complain because they did not
accomplish more, but the ideal best is
rarely the practical best, and we may
find by experience that we have
gone quite as far as our present
most fruitful acts of the last legislature
was the submission of constitutional
amendment prohibiting special legisla-
ton in the future in all cases where
general laws can be made applicable.
This amendment ought to be adopted by
the people of Minnesota by an over
whelming vote. There is scarcely any
thing more demoralizing or full of dam
ger than the method which has pre-
vailed of suspending the rules and pass
ing quantities of bills for special persons
and places. in which too often have
lurked only personal interests and pri-
vate ambition. and consequently the
sources of public corruption. 1t is be-
lieved that the changes which have
been made directly affecting our finan-
cial affairs will result in the saving Of
more than half million dollars each
year in the management of our city.
This Will surely be great gain. We
need more ana more, to make a tine
phrase, which, though it has seen good
deal of bad company, has
Not Lost All Its SAVIOR,
living reality. l mean that statement
bv a distinguished American, Public
Office is public trust" Official position
should never be a source of personal
gain. No man should ever earn more
in office than he is able to earn out of it.
Our officials should regard themselves
as servants of the public. If they serve
the public well, the public should do
them honor. This should be the largest
reward of official position. We need eS-
pecially in our city conviction that
laws are meant to be enforced and that
the only duty of executive officers is to
see that this is done. 1t is notorious
fact that there are not only statutes, but
also city ordinances, that are not at
tempted to be enforced by those who
have sworn in the most solemn manner
that they will perform this duty. Our
brilliant city attorney makes great mis-
take when he intimates that we have no
right to expect our government to be
carried on by proxy. 1t is precisely
what we do expect and what we have
right to expect He holds his very
position for the purpose OF obviating the
necessity for the private prosecution of
public offenSeS. The time ought to pass
when our officials will study how they
can satisfy the city and yet be as lenient
as possible to the criminal classes. 1t
may be that some of our laws are too Sc
we're; very we'll; but we do not elect
city officials to decide the question. 1t
was Gen. Grant who said, ''rhe way to
repeal bad law is to enforce it," And
this is precisely what we want done. In
the present state of human nature and
public morals we must not expect too
much of men in public places. Many of
them, perhaps most of them, prefer a
much better state of affairs than now
obtain, but they say to me frankly, the
people who object to the enforce
ment of the laws are active,
alert, revengeful. They attend the eau
cuSeS and are busy at elections. Your
people grumble and scold, but do not
vote. What we want is new era IN
the matter of active participation in
political life. Under our government it
is the duty of every man to be some
thing of politician. The preacher and
the deacon ought not to seek to escape,
for they may be sure that the gambler
and the saloonkeeper will not neglect
their duty. If you have wishes. it you
desire to be effective, make your
self a practical power, and then you
will not be ignored, for the men in
search OF offices will not dare to ignore
you. 1t IS not enough to say that we
have done as well as other cities. The
supreme question is, Have we done as
we'll as we can? Do we maintain high
ideals, and do we honestly endeavor to
realize them? There is no doubt that
in many things we excel other cities.
There are before US magnificent ma
terial conquests. May we use them in
the interests of purity and truth.