St. Paul daily globe., 1892-03-13
AN OPEN LETTER.


Pioneer Press-You and are com para
lively old citizens, at least we have lived
i'll ST. Paul quite a number of years. In
our younger days we had our political
QuarrelS and fghtS-aS years sped on
they were forgiven, and for many years
while we may have differed on political
subjects, and as to what may constitute
a good municipal government. we have
been personal friends. attached to the
traditions and history OF the old settlers.
You became the editor of the Pioneer
Press, after having demonstrated. prior
to this, your ability as writer as editor
of the st. Paul Financial Advertiser and
as an attaehe on the editorial staff OF
the Pioneer i'll the palmy days of DEM
ocracy. The Pioneer Press, news
paper which has no superior in the
Northwest, and as far as its editorials are
concerned when written by you, the
equal of any in the country. l read
them with pleasure, yet every now and
then | am of the impression you make
mistakes. Who does not? AS to your
political creed, or that of your paper, as
far as national and state politics are
concerned, [ have no criticism. Per
hapS you are right. But when we get
down to the best manner of running a
to be done in every particular case Tor
the best interests of Its people-a family
alfair-yOu are sometimes led astray.
While you are one of the people and
thoroughly interested in the growth and
prosperity of st. Paul, ''all of which you
have seen and part of which you have
beeD," your business and habits of life
are such that, outside of the editorial
rooms of the Pioneer Press, you know
but little OF the public sentiment and
thought of the people, except as picked
up threads, stories and yarns of the men
who visit your office. and who SOmt-
times may have motive.
Now to Illustrate. You assume every
day or to in your editorials in the Pho
neer Press that nearly,if not quite all.of
the citizens OF ST. Paul, including WOm-
EN- and children, want an auditorium
with seating capacity of at least 5000,
and that it must be built upon the mar
ket house property, and nowhere else.
VIII you tell your readers how many
cities in the United States, out of the
money of the tax payers and from the
public treasury, nave erected and main
tanned public halls or auditOriumS, and
how many by public-spirited men, as
private enterprise?
Admitting that st. Paul wants TO be
In the front rank of American cities,
and that her corporate authorities arc
willing to do what no other city, with
out exception, has done, does it neCes-
Sarlly follow that the city of st. Paul
shall Sequester in the heart of the city
$4,000 worth of real estate. and depre-
ciate surrounding property for at least
third of that amount, and erect
building upon the same which will cost
or fnt
of public hall, the maintenance of
which will add to the tax roll at least
$4,000 year? A building that will not
be occupied once a month during the
year-aS Democratic national cOuyen-
tionS, and, in fact, Republican as
well, are only held every four
years. The Chicago auditorium, with
seating capacity of only 4,0O0,
has never been filled but twice.
The Metropolitan Opera house, in fact,
has all the seating capacity required
for any convention, save, perhaps. Il
national political convention. When
we can build q wigwam, as they are
doing i'll Chicago, why not sell the mar
ket house property and locate the audi
1Orium on Rice park; erect as part OF
the structure a public library and an
art gallery. 1t will be said, however.
the property was only given for park
purnnses. I am satisfied, however. that
the Ho n. Henry NJ. Rice. who was the
dUnor, upon Il proper application, Will
only be TOO glad 10 do this. for the
building itself for all time to come
would be monument 10 him as man
who gave away fortunes 10 aid
in the early development of st.
Paul. But if this is not deemed
advisable then why not 20 over to Third
street between Market and Washington
streets. or on Tenth i'm front of the high
school building, where the city can buy
a site for say $50, 900, erect an auditor
ium, then sell the market house prop
eTty say for $500, ,000 and we here have
almost money sufficient TO build an au-
ditocium. You will say, however, that
this requires legislation 10 sell, etc.
This may be true, but cannot we afford
to wait another year. Will this not be
better than to add another mill to the
tax levy this year. and two more next
upon people already taxed to death,
and who, in many cases, if they pay
their taxes, wonder where they will get
their daily bread? 1t may be possible
that there are other sites even more lie
sirable than Rice park. or Third street
and the others meGt Oned.
1t must be apparent to any one who
has given any thought to the matter
that an auditorium on seventh street.
in the middle of a block, in front OF
where there is line of electric street
cars running at intervals not exceeding
five minutes, where it would be impos-
sible for any one to drive carriage, is
not the place for a public hall. st.
Louis, Chicago and Cincinnati tried to
4 Nsfaaa
leading citizens, many of whom may be
wiser than the day and generation in
which they live, are of different Opin-
ion. Let us think the matter over, and
not rush ahead like flock of sheep
where you put bell on an old ram, and
the rest follow. With assurances of my
most kind regards.
WILLIAM PITT MURRAY.
st. Paul, March II, 1892.