The Irish standard., 1891-04-11
Merchants PARTISAN COURSE.

MERRIAM'S PARTISAN COURSE.
The partisan course of Governor Mer-
RAM in refusing to sign the Minneapolis
new city charter, after promising that he
would not interfere in matters purely
local has bran ed him as one OF the most
pilant political tools that ever sat in the
gubernatorial chair Of this state 10
think that he could SO far forget himself
IS to go back on his own promises, Is
more than we expected from him. We
always regarded Governor Merriam as
man. possessed Of all the senslbilities
and generous impulses of human be-
ing, until he allowed himself to be walk
ed upon, and forced to do something
that he promised few days before he
would not interfere in, When a few
Minneapolis Republicans waited on him,
he became alarmed for his political flu
ture, and so to help his senatorial boom.
and hold a few Minneapolis Republicans
in office. he vetoed q measure that Min
neapol1s is sorely in need OF. What a
spectacle it was to see such partisan pol
1ticians as E. NJ. johnson and others in
directly threatening the governor with
political death should he attach his
signature to the charter. The house
passed the bill without a dissenting vote,
and there were but four votes recorded
against it in the senate, still Governor
Merriam refused to approve it. He re-
fused to sign it because his political
hackers demand that he refuse. This is
a nice state of affairs. Governor Mer-
ram went outside his official duty when
he returned that charter bill TO the SEN
ate without his approval. 1t was con.
temptible piece of work, aud it the IN
dependent Republican senators do not
chastise him as he deserves, by voting to
pass the bill over his veto. should the
Hennepin senators so decide, their local
measures should be hung up When
the chief executive of state like ours,
SO far forgets his duty to the people as
tc out party interests before all else,
then it is nearly time that the people
would relegate him to obscurity where
he belongs. Governor Merriam may
think that in doing the bidding Of some
of Hennepin's Republicans he is adj
vancing his own political interests, but
in this he is mistaken. He will find to
his SORROW that in taking the course he
did, he committed political suicide.
Had E., M. johnson and other equally
politically dead Republicans in Mlnnea-
polls, who were candidates for the legis-
lature last fall, been successful, the peo-
pie of Minneapolis would have had one of
the most dangerous charters saddled up
on them that it has been che misfortune
of any city in the country to have. john
sor and others Of his style openly favor
ed board of public works, the mem
bers OF which would no doubt have re-
ceived handsome salaries and there
were few ex-aldermen slated early IN
the fall for these fat Offices; that is one
of the reasons why these gentlemen re-
fused to be candidates for reelection.
They were after larger fish and 81 revis-
ion of the charter was decided On before
election, and does any sane man sup
pose for moment that Governor Mer-
Ram would have vetoed any measure in
troduced by Hennepin Republicans aud
certainly not; he would willingly have
attached his signature to any OF their
measures, and why did he not approve
of the new charter just passed the house
and senate? Because the political bosses
of his party said it would hurt them.
Ii Governor Merriam does not regret his
course IN this matter it will be because
he will never again be a candidate for
any Office within the gift of the people Of
Minnesota