St. Paul daily globe., 1892-01-23
AUDITORIUM ASSURED
Despite the Loss Of the Con-
ventiOn 1t Will Be
Built.
The Site Will Probably Be
Changed to Rice
Park.
True Facts Relating'to the In
junction Served Some
Time Ago.
Pertinent Points as Expressed
by Public-Spirited
Citizens.

! that great benefits do not grow out of it.
st. Paul has lost the Democratic ma
tional convention for '92, but the cause
was close to its own door. The litiga-
| tons with which the joint council COM
mlttee on auditorm is menaced, effected
| its work. The national committee
could not present city with conven
ton when that city is in danger of be-
ing frustrated by its own citizens in its
endeavor 10 give hospitality to the con-
vention.
The patriotic citizens who have
| labored so Zealously for over month,
at great expense in time and money,
have striven To prevent the publication
to the country of the facts connected
with the injunction case. They sue
ceeded up to the eleventh hour, when
information was given the New York
World, and 1.-The jig was up" There is
no longer any reason for withholding
the distressing facts.
On Jan. IL S. l.. Pierce, as attorney
for Charles Steele, owner of the Steele
block, at the corner of Wabasha and
Seventh streets, filed with Judge Brill
suit against the city, with a petition
Tor an order to show cause why re-
straining order should not issue pre-
venting awarding of the contract to
build the auditorium. The committee
On promotion realized at once that such
actl0n would present an inSurmOuntable
barrier to securing the convention,
whether there were any legal merits in
the cast or not. After hasty consulta-
ton, Corporation Attorney Lawler called
upon Lawyer Pierce and, after great
deal of lmportunate argument, 1t was
stipulated that the
Action Should BE Deferred
until after the election of convention
city by the national committee. Con-
sequently the papers were temporarily
withdrawn, and the committee went on
to Washington, although not without a
mod!cum of fear that the story would
ma lts way into the columns of some
rival newspaper. Yet, despite the COM
pact between Lawler and Pierce, Mayor
Smith was formally served with papers
in suit by Steele, Jan. 13, with an in
Junction case III view, and the mayor
guardedly pocketed these papers and
took them to Washington with him.
This is, i'll brief, the history of the legal
steps taken by Mr.. Steele to o5struct
the popular auditorium movement in
st. Paul.
Although the possibilities of legal
fight has lost the convention to st. Paul,
but few citizens feel that this iniunc-
ton suit can prevent the ultimate erec-
tlOn of a permanent auditorium. Some
OF the best legal minds of the city con-
cur with Mr.. Lawler in the position that
the council has explicit and implied
charter authority for the course that
has been pursued in making up the tax
levy schedule. And the sentiment is in
no way changed, nor is the ardor many
way cooled by the overt action of Mr..
Steele: Rather it has intensified the
determined spirit of the most patriotic
and progressive citizens, and they are
sOildlhed III the movement until they
feel that they can upset greater opposi-
ton than is presented in
The Threatened Ssiit at Law.
The GLOBE gives an exposition of
public opinion upon this theme below.
Ihe publlc-spirited pI operty owners are
lnslstent, and there is promise that the
project Will not wane. although there is
no doubt that Mr. Steele will make a
bitter and stubborn fight.
1hls leads to another aspect of the
enterprise. Cannot more suitable site
be provided than that afforded by the
market house? No other site was avail
able for an auditorium that must be in
readiness TO accommodate the conven-
ton, it IS true. but now the council need
not be restricted by such time limit.
In this connection, it may now be of
special interest to relate, for the ban of
secrecy is removed by the occurrences
OF Thursday, that the committee on
auditorium has all along encouraged a
project that seems to have many things
to commend it to favor. ASsembyman
Oppenhein, than whom no citizen has
labored with greater zeSt for the audi
torium. has had plan in view for an
entire change of base of operations in
the extremity of defeat in Washing
ton. lie must be credited with an ac-
tivity that promises to work great
good, but he has not been alone in the
project. Rev. S. &. Smith, John j.
Corcoran, E. V. Smalley, Assemblymen
Van Slyke and Elmqnist and Aldermen
Gehan and Conley have also devoted
much attention and study to the matter.
TO employ Mr.. Oppenhelm's language:
Should we be so unfortunate as to lose
this convention, said he, in secret session
of the auditorium committee there will re-
main no particular reason for building on
the market house site. A much better place
would be on Rice park There we could have
an auditorium of any capacity. we might
want-say to seat at least 10000 people. That
ought to be ample for all emergencies Then
we could provide au elegant public
library, public natatorium and
an an, art gallery We - can sell the
nd of an institution that has been a burden
to our taxpayers. and it will bring at least
S3O0,GO0. The city owns Rice park. and
wouldn't be out dollar for the ground you
see. and the S300.O0O would he available for
the building fund Then the S120,0O0 to be
| realized from general taxation viii be added
to this, making snug total of Si20000, to
h inlo llro ~ IOrl
the succeeding year. Wouldn't this provide
something that will be credit to st. Paul:"
The other gentlemen mentioned are
in sympathy with these sentiments,
and have been since the very Inception
of the market house project. so it can
be seen that the auditorium committee
has not been influenced in the least by
narrow bias. They are public spirited
and anxious that
The City Shall Improve
every advantage presented. The council
| also, is convinced that the market house
| cannot be an institution of profit any
| longer. WabaSha street has become a
| commercial center OF an entirely diff
| ferent character-Such as cannot har-
monize with farm produce and the like
| and the market gardeners and farmers,
| in whose interests the building was pro-
| yided. realize the force of conditions
! and pray for a more suitable location.
| They no longer find an advantageous
market here for their products. and it
was this fact that influence them to ap-
pear before the chamber of commerce
with petition for new market better
adapted to their needs.
So it is once more exemplified that
there is truth in the axiom. "There is
| no great loss without some small gain -
only the use of the words 'great" and
''smalP' may be perhaps challenged in
this connection. The city promises to
get lid of an old incubus, solve vexa-
tious probleni, and erect monument to
lhe progress of the city, and provide an
institution that will rebound to the pub
lie veal for all time to come.
Then. it is agreed that the auditorium
will be built. This conclusion natur-