St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-12-16

convention does not come here
This sally provoked applause, and
DIR. Smith. continued his address at
length, touching upon the popular SEN
timent of the city in favor of the auditO-
rum, and urged upon the council the
necessity of acting upon the question as
plain, practical business men. The
auditorium must be under way before
convention city is elected. The COM
mitteemen must know positively
that it is being built. Then he
combatted the speciOuS arguments that
had been occasionally argued in favor
of wigwam. He said that the money
put into such an institution would be
wasted. 1t would be like throwing it
into the street, for 1t would have to be
torn down Immediately after. He pro-
fessed TO be an advocate of economic
measures. but he recalled passage in
an old book which reads:
There is a scattering that enricheth, and
there is Withholding that tendeth TO pow
erty.''
The auditorium would be useful for
all time 10 come for all sorts of gath ar-
ings, and the fame of st. Paul will be
widespread as the greatest and best
convention city in the country for its
size. As a Republican, he wanted to
say that he thought the moral political
ozone Of St. Paul would have a Statutory
effect upon the Democratic brethren.
and he hoped they will come.
An Eloquent Appeal
Hon. c. d. O'Brien contributed his
elOquence to the arguments that had
been given, and he aroused enthusiastic
applause as he proceeded. He pointed
to the wonderful unanimity Of the en-
tire community in the movement for
the national convention. lie felt GER
tain that there never had been such a
unanimous sentiment aroused, and then
he spoke incidentally of the element of
doubt that enveiOped the first proposition
made by minneapolis, and drew an
effective picture Of this doubt succumb-
ing to certainty. And now the eyes of
the nation are turned to the two cities.
he dpplauded the effective work that
had been effected by st. Paul's recent
delegation In getting the ear and conf
dence of the national committee by Civ
ing eloquent assurances OF st. Paui'S
hotel capacity and of the certainty of
the auditorium. He urged that the city
had gone too far to take a backward
step with honor. This delegation had
been clothed with the moral support of
a united community, and the city is now
responsible and cannot refuse to make
good the pledges already made. The honor
OF the city is plighted, and it will be an
everlasting disgrace to this city for the
council to dishouor that pledge. st.
Peul's best citizens would be branded as
idle boosters. and be charged with max
ing promises that were never intended
to be kept. Mr.. O'Brien concluded his
address in burst of poetical elOquence
that provoked another storm of ap-
plauSe.
History Repeats Itself
E. Y. Smalley recOunted the efforts of
the chamber of commerce to secure the
erection OF an auditorium two years
ago, and averred that a number of pub
lic-spirited citizens had offered to erect
the building if there were any
laws authorizing private build
ing upon private property. He
spoke enthusiastically of the public
sentiment that had spread throughout
the city in favor of the project TO re-
model the market house. He knew
there were DIRECTORS, but they are few,
and he believed that every one OF them
had a private motive. They have some
business interest at stake, and he felt
morally certain that there is not one
man i'll a thousand who is opposed to
the proposition. 1t is not only a popular
investment.
You cannot touch any important public
property. he said. with emphasis, that will
not affect somebody's business interests. But
this proposition will affect the least. Some
Thing has been said about protecting the
market gardeners. ! want 10 say that thew
came before the chamber of commerce ana
peuuoned to have some other location pro-
Ylded for them. They can no longer remain
at the present site with profit. crisis has
been reached for this market house 1t
must give way TO q more proper public in
stitution. The power rests with the cou neil
TO wisely settle the question, Are we to
nave the next Democratic convention? 1t
Will dlsburse S2.OU0.0j0, and then think of
the fame that will result for ST. Paul, run
ming all the way through the next campaign.
Every newspaper in the United States will
nave something to say every day about the
candidates nominated in st. Paul. It will be
the greatest advertising scheme 81. Paul ever
had
Mr.. Smalley emphasized the argu-
mentS that it will be useless to send a
delegation to Washington with mere
promises. Other cities will be there
that are provided with excellent halls.
and he cited Music hall i'll Cincinnati
and Madison Square in New York. He
considered this one of the most patri-
otto questions that a st. Paul council
had ever been called upon to decide,
and he urged the members to lay aside
personal interests ana to rise up to the
level of the occasion and meet the needs
of the city.
The Mayors Views.
Mayor Smith responded to a request
to address the meeting, and he was
| greeted by another and spontaneous
| burst of applause. He narrated the eX-
| periences of the delegation in Washing
ton, and portrayed the surprising en-
! enlargement that had been met with,
as has already been published in these
columns. Public sentiment has been
| educated in the national capital in favor
of st. Paul. lie spoke of the effective
work done by individual members of
the delegation, and by Mayor Winston,
of Minneapolis, in particular, in enlist
ing favor for st. Paul's claim, and the
delegation lad come home feeling that
the convention was nearly assured. The
| delegation had secured favor only by
representing that an auditorium would
at once be put under way. Plans had
been shown, and he had not anticipated
any opposition.
Had l thought for g moment" he con.
! tlnued, that any deliberatve body of this
! city would offer any opposition, would not
| have been one to have gone to Washington.
Aid. Sanborn then asked the mayor
If he felt as Mr.. Smith and Mir. Open
| helm did. that the convention cannot be
| secured unless the auditorium is actual
| ly begun before Jan. p, and the reply
| came without hesitation that it would
be absolutely useless to go any further
with the plan TO get the convention I'M
less the promises made by the delega
ton were strictly kept. The delegation
that goes Jan. 81 must be able to say the
building is under way.
|