St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-03-02
ASpirited Discussion in Which
the City's Pledge Is
Urged.
In Taxing Playhouse S, Where
Does the Peoples Church
Figure ?
A Vast Amount Of Routine
Business Quickly Dis
posed Of.


semDly file directing the joint commit
tee Oh auditorium to proceed at once
with the erection Of the structure Oh
tine market house site as first planned,
and also instructing the corporation at
torney to carry the pending injunction
case to final termination in the courts
without delay. The latter course will
be pursued, 1t is true, but the temper of
some of the board is so violently and
uncompromisingly opposed to the en-
terprise that it is now more than evident
the measure will never pass wit hout a
bitter alteration. Aid. Gehan, DODner
and Sanborn are the leaders of the op-
position, while Aid. Sullivan, member
of the auditorium committee; Aid. Bott.
Melady and Bieienberg are enlisted in
the cause OF the auditorium.
When the resolution from the ass en-
bly, was read Aid. Gehau lost no time
in securing the floor to protest against
the course it contemplated. He was
willing the corporation attorney should
push the injunction suit, but he would
not vote for the first part of the resolu
ton, and he moved to summarily strike
it out. Aid. Melady was surprised that
an alderman should oppose such a
meritofiouS public enterprise. He in
sisted that the tax levy is made and the
funds will be available for the purpose,
and he would never favor diverting the
money 10 any other use. Aid Gehan
suggested that the money can be left
in the treasury, and that the succeeding
tax levy will be Just one mill less.
tsSuph q thinu will mako Sf p1nI the
laughing stock of the entire world"
cried Aid. Melady with spirit. 1--WE
sent our best citizens to Washington,
and, acting upon the pledged good
faith OF this council, they advertised TO
the world that we were building one of
the finest and biggest auditoriumS in
| America! If VIC apologize to them now
and say we won't build, | say we will
be the laughing stock Of the world"
Aid. Bott made ringing speech in
like trend. He prefaced it by confess
ing that in its ineipiency he had not
favored the market house site.
But | want to heartily indorSe every
word uttered by Aid. Melady," he said.
''Since the committee of representative
citizens were authorized to 90 to Wash
ington and make the positive pledge
that we were actually building this
auditorium. and, moreover, authorizing
them to exhibit plans and designs of the
strnctnre-sinc these gentlemen did
this and it has been advertised through
out the length and breadth of the land,
insist in all honor and Justice to the
credit and reputation Of st. Paul we
should not violate that promise. 1t
makes little difference that we failed in
securing the. convention. 1t has gone
out that we are building mammoth
auditorium, and now let us show that
we do as we promise. We have pro-
vided the means and we own the
site, and the building should now be
erected"
Aid. Gehan argued at length that
there had had been a great change of
sentiment since the convention had been
lost to st. Paul. He knew the people
did not want an auditorium, and Aid.
Bott responded with feeling. reiterating
that the taxpayers do favor the erection
of the auditorium, as is shown by the
petitions received by the council; and it
should here be explained that the city
clerk had just read eommunica-
tion from the chamber of COM
merce pronouncing in favor of a
public auditorium and disparaging
small structure. This communica-
llOll, NY lllC way, dOhS lilC COuuCil W
build structure with at least 5000 seat
ing capacity and room for 1000 more in
case of necessity, and on the heels of
this came resolution of the lower town
business mems union, published in
these columns, memorialiZing the coun-
ell to take immediate action in follow
ing out the plans of building on the
market house site. Both were placed
on file upon the motion of Aid. San
| born.
Aid. Dobner declared that he had can
vaSsed his ward and he was unable to
| find a single man who favored the
| auditorium. Moreover, he had can
| vassed among the bankers, the mer-
i chants, lawyers and the business men
| and the taxpayers of the city, and he
had been unable to find one man who is
| not opposed to the auditorium. This
came as a surprise to Aid. Melady, who
| had just marked the petition of the
| chamber of commerce and the business
mems union, and he wanted to say that
if he did not know that the people of
| st. Paul want the auditorium he would
vote against it.
Aid. Dobner denied that the city had
ever given pledge to build an add
| forum, and asserted that it is bad policy
4 IL
| finished his speech by saying that the
! city has no right to eXpend money for
/ Suchai purpose.
| Aid. Sullivan is a staunch friend of
| the enterprise and he voiced his feel
/ ingS without fear. He felt that a large
! proportion of the city realizes the bene-
| fits that must accrue from making ST.
| Paul convention city, and Aid. Melady
| wanted TO renew his solemn protest
against the city's using the money
| levied for any other purpose. This was
taken by Aid. Sanborn as the key to the
| entire situation. He maryeled Mr..
Steele will hot pay his taxes if the money
is taken for all auditorium, and AID.
| Melady will not pay his taxes if it is
| rot. He said that the auditorium fund
''ean't be inserted in the tax levy" and
made lengthy argument against build
| ing on the market house site, and Aid.
Gehan supplemented this by explaining
that the money cannot be used for an
auditorium, save in remodeling the mar
ket house. Aid. Copeland confessed he
was heartily in favor of an au-
was opposed to the plan under
consideration, and AID Melady moved
| to postpone further action until gen.
| eral expression can be had from the
| people of the city. He had no fear of
the result, and he pledged that if the
public says abandon the work, he will
not vote for the measure. Aid. Sanborn
favored killing the first half and
| passing the last half OF the reso-
luton, but AID. Sullivan did not
like to see his hopes dashed to earth
in that way. He moved to refer the
whole matter back to the joint commit
tee on auditorium, but this was lost,
and then Gehan'5 motion. striking out
the first half and adopting the last half,
prevailed against the votes OF Bielen-
berg. Bett and Melady. In manifest
disgust Aid. Sullivan said that after the
turn of events he would vote aye.
And here rises legal problem. The
corporation attorney is directed to carry
the injunction case to the tribunal for
adjudication, but there is no case to
try. The city cannot be enjoined from
doing anything it is not undertaking to
do, and how can the case come before
any courtP