St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-06-30
A BULLDozING POLICY.

There is very apparent effort on the
part of those who desire to secure
enough additional money to carry the fire
department. to the end of the year to
bulldoZe their scheme through, despite
the provisions of the charter. The tax
paying public is suspicious that the let
tiers from insurance men, threatening an
increase Of insurance if any Of the
chemical companies are Topped off, are
stuffed clubs made tc. the order OF the
city government. This belief was eX-
pressed by many when the first letter
was read at a meeting of the conference
committee; and when the Pioneer Press
went out Off way to secure interviews
from firemen showing that they would
strike if their wages were cut. every
body felt that his first impression was
confirmed.
The guardedly written editorial in the
Pioneer Press of yesterday clearly indi-
Gates that its author knows that the
situation is due to Encouragement on
the part of the fire board. The editor
is also fully alive to the fact that the
taXpaying public knows full we'll that
both Of the schemes proposed by the
mayor are in direct violation of the
charter. But the situation is as it is,
and there are good many votes ii. the
fire department which it will not do TO
lose by cutting down wages. What
more natural move on the checker
board than for that paper to egg on the
firemen so adroltly that the taxpayers
will not discover the movement, but fall
lamb-like into the trap, and back up the
movers for violation of the charter?
Suppose one or other of Mayor
WRIGHT's schemes were carried out,
what position would Mr.. WHEELoCK
and others of his following be in to defend
the charter against violations by differ
ent party in power in the future? They
might urge that the exigencieS OF this
case warranted the violation; but they
must not forget that the adroit policy
which they are pursuing to work public
sentiment in their favor is game others
can play just as we'll as they. The
carrying through either of the plans of
the mayor would be simply throwing
down the bars for an almost unlimited
amount of abuse in the future. The
only right and safe course to pursue
now is to uphold the charter. These
people have brought the matter to
pass where lowering the firemen'S
wages would no doubt cost the reform
administration some votes at the next
election, but the interests of ST. Paul
would have hnnn nr0tpn tad
The wages of the fremen are not too
high, and no one would ask under ordi-
nary circumstances that they be Ie-
duced. But President FREEMAN, of
the fire board, lays off hundreds of en-
ployes in his Minnesota shoe factory
throws them absolutely out of employ
ment-because Of the general financial
stress of the country; yet Mr.. FREEMAN
is unwilling to so much as reduce the
salaries of the firemen, when the cir
cumStances of the city are the same as
those of business concerns. How is
anybody to look at this except to see
that in the former case he acts from
business standpoint, and in the latter
from political? The man was born
under lucky star who works for the
city as fireman instead of for busi
ness concern.
No one would object to making up to
the firemen next year or still later ON
the wages taken from them at this time,
if it can be done under the charter with
out increasing the allowance to the fire
department.. But that allowance must
be kept down to the charter provisions.
And the charter provision that funds
shall not be diverted must not be vio
lated.