St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-08

time, and the council can lmpeach ana
remove any city officer, no matter how
chosen, when it sees fit, a power not
now possessed, and yet the would-be
critics think corruption is going to stalk
through our city when this charter shall
go into effect
Wont the people of this city be more
careful in selecting a mayor than If ne
had no power, as 1t present?
The Main Contention
is on the superintendent of public
works: this office will not have as great
powers as the present city engineer;
while he may have two or three things
to look after, and not more than that,
his office will be purely executive; he
can only do that which the council
orders, he can't make single
contract except by the order
of the city council, and to be con-
firmed by them. He can't lay one inch
of pavement, curb, gutter, sewer, or
water pipe of his own volition; it must
first be ordered by the city council: The
present city engineer has more political
state. No limits are fixed on his office.
and it is owing to the fact that he is a
wonderfully skillful politician that he
retains his Office.
He has more men under him, many
times, than will be required by the de-
partment of public works under the
new charter, for then the work will be
reduced to Il system. while now 1T is
almost chaotic and can't be helped
under the present charter. | would
ra Their have one year as city engineer
under the present charter for purposes
of corruption and plumber than | would
five years as superintendent of public
work under the new charter with all
its restrictions and safeguards, for no
set Of officers ever had more COM
plete set of checks placed upon them
than the new charter places on all city
officials.
The Pictures of Corruption
displayed in the public prints can only
emanate from one of two sources, lg-
norance or knavery.
This city charter has been distorted
in the most contemplate manner, and
the people of this city led to believe it
to be the work of the evil one. A fair
study of all its provisions will convince
any man, other than a political bigot,
that 1T is right in principle, and step
in the right direction.
1t is the first time any step was ever
is now scattered through so many laws
that no one pretends to know what is
in it. The work was carried on, having,
in view the suggestions of Andrew B.
White, eX president of Cornell univer
sity, the most eminent authority in this
country on matters of municipal admin
istration; it follows closely the plan OF
the Brooklyn charter, which is said by
all well informed men to be the most
perfect Of any city in our country.
Hon. Seth Low largely framed that,
and was the mayor under it. He Is
looked upon as an authority Of the best
kind on city matters, and advocates the
appointment by the mayor of the city
officials without regard to confirmation.
TO this theory, and to just such laws
passed through his efforts when men,
Der of the New York Legislature Hon.
Theodore Roosevelt owes his great rep
utation. These laws and this method
of administering city affairs are no eXper-
iment, but are an unqualified success
wherever tested. Government. to be
well administered, must have a respOn-
sible head, and that fact cannot be
disputed.
One Word as 10 Partisansh1p.
Not one person elected by the people
is turned out OF Office by the charter;
only a few heads of departments
elected by the council VINO could not be
retained under the new divisions are
disturbed. The subordinates are all re-
tanned and transferred by provision in
the charter especially to that effect.
The only opposition to it comes from
official heads, and the profession
oil nnIitioioOc tho RppnhlinoD
party who never consulted the wishes
of the people in any particular. Who
ever heard Of any delegation from Hen
nepin county before asking the opinions
of anyone on proposed legislation? And
the present delegation is the only one
that ever took the people into their cOun-
ellis and asked their views on any queS-
ton relating to public and city affairs.
If this charter were the result of the
labors of a Republican delegation it
would be hailed as a great thing, and
the carping critics and papers who
talk when they are ignorant, and never
when enlightened. would all throw up
their hats and hail it as second Magma
Charta. This charter was an issue in
the last campaign. The Democrats won,
and they are striving honestly to redeem
their pledges. The criticisms on the
DulliU DlIl, WHlCH lids UCCu III OptIdIlOu
only five years. show lamentable igno-
rance, and simply place the critics in
sad plight before every intelligent man
in the community. If our state system
and national system are failures, why
then follow our present charter? they
are successes, why not apply them to
city government?
Our charter was made for city of
10000 inhabitants: it has been patched
and repatched till nothing but patches
IS to be seen. Progress is the watch
word of the day. The ideas of munich
pal reform and municipal government
are constantly changing. The effort is
being honestly made to put our beauti-
full city in line in this matter with the
other cities of the country. What was
good enough for little city won't do
now.
Soon an exhaustive outline of the new
charter will be printed. We now invite
fair, unbiased reading of the new
charter and investigation into its mer-
its, and feel satisfied that the verdict
will be that the Heunepin delegation
have rendered lasting service to the
city, and are deserving of the thanks of
all progressive, fair-minded men who
desire good government and not offices.
Very respectfully, W. H. TRIP.
Minneapolis, Mimi, Feb. z.