St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-01-16
THE sANBoRN CHARTER

One of our esteemed contemporaries
draws picture of the condition of ST.
Paul which is as weird and desolate as
one of CoRoT's landscapes, and appends
legend to the effect that there would
be luscious fruit on every tree on the
canvas if it were not for our city gov
eminent In this same spirit Senator
SANBoRN has dictated to his stenog-
rapher bill covering many folios OF
onion skin, which has been introduced
into the legislature as new charter for
anybody has read this document, which
is several parasangs in length, and
which, according to the account its
author has given of it, would require
a heart of iron, nerves of steel and a
tireleSs eye to peruse. 1t is said,
however, to have been drafted in &C
cordance with the idea Of the theoretical
statesmen of the chamber of commerce,
and to be aimed at putting everybody
who is now in Office out of Office, and
putting everybody who IS now out of
office, and would like to be in Office, in,
as far as the number of Offices will per-
nit. There may be other objects in
view which will come to light when the
bill has been printed, and man has
been found with leisure and strength
enough to read it and tell us what it
contains.
The GLOBE is Democratic newspa-
per, but is devoted, first of all, to the adj
Won IF tl,a int re Of this fat
and city. If there is any corruption in
our city government it wants to have it
brought to light. If there are abuses of
power and uneconOmical methods in
vogue, it thinks that they ought to be
eliminated. But, as Democratic paper,
it is thoroughly opposed to the political
philosophy which assumes that when
there are evils and stagnation in
general society the way to remove
them is through governmental action.
1t is absurd and dangerous to act Oh the
theory that if there are vacant stores or
unemployed workmen in city the
citv's government is to he held respon-
sible, or that it is the duty of the city's
government to find tenants for build
ings or work for its citizens. The
city government has very limited
sphere of activities, which amount to lit
tie more than keeping its streets or
derby, clean and comfortable. In other
cities in the country there has been the
grossest failure to accomplish this
end, and all sorts of expedients
in charter making have been resorted
to for a remedy. The minutest investi-
CATION, however, has failed to show
that st. Paul is not already well
equipped with machinery for this pur-
pose We have yet to find the reason
able man who can criticise the courtesy
of our city and county officials or their
honesty and efficiency. We do not in
tend this as a general eulogy; and il
there is such man we think that his
testimony ought to be heard, and if sub
stantiated, acted on. But we do not be-
lieve that, because there have been err
rors in methods of bookkeeping or
a REGULATING clerk here and there unde-
tected for while, whole system of
government, which has accomplished
the highest results, ought to be wan
tonly overthrown and the confusion of
new and untried methods introduced.
We do not know whether the SAN
BORN charter proposes to do this, but if
it does we think that the reasons for
such a course ought to be made to ap-
pear before it becomes law.