St. Paul daily globe., 1893-02-19
The Committee Returns Res
olutions Of a Peppery
Character.
A Split Growing Out Of Their
Wholesale Appliea- p
tiOn.
The Second Meeting Limits
It's Anger to Cleveland
D.
Park.

| condemnation of parks. The meeting
was made up of gray-headed property
| owners for the most part, and they
acted like school of boys broken loose.
| The meeting was far from beng har-
monious; in fact, the widest con-
fusion prevailed at times, and
threats were made to throw some
of the men out of the meeting.
One chairman was chosen, a set of
resolutions passed and committee ap-
pointed. Then this chairman retired
under pressure. and another presiding
officer was elected and resolutions
adopted and new committee appointed
to do the same thing asked of the first
committee. The meeting seemed unit
Oh the opposition to acquiring Cleve-
land park. and both sets OF resolutions
and committees were directed toward
securing the abrogatIon Of the park
board in condemning the ground for
that park. A great many speeches were
made. Some of them were more ear
nest than ornamental in some particu-
lars.
At the opening of the meeting Judge
j. K. Humphrey was chosen as chair
! man, and &. d. Florida secretary.
Judge Humphrey stated that the meet
ing had met to oppose the purchase of
| parks at this time, and to hear the re-
port of committee appointed at for
mer meeting to investigate the matter.
This committee was made up of j. K.
Humphrey. Charles Nomaanacher, Will
lam Zollman and Joseph Spiel. Their
report is as follows:
The Committee Roasted 1t.
Your committee appointed at former
meeting to inquire into the impending
burden of an assessment of nearly half
! a million dollars upon the property east
| and north Of Phalen creek, and suggest,
if possible, remedy, would report that
they are Informed and believe that the
order directing the condemnatiors and
| assessments complained of was pro-
cured by the cunningly managed and
secret lnstgation of real estate specu-
lators whose schemes have gone wrong,
and who by this means would saddle the
burdens of their mistakes upon the in
nocenu taxpayers of this district at an
immense Profit to themselves.
And they would further report that
they are fully satisfied that the action of
the board Of park commissioners, in
directing the board of public works to
condemn certain large tracts of land for
PhaIen park, Cleveland park, Mound
park and Lienau park, was procured by
undue influence, and without proper
consultation with the persons who were
to bear the burdens of taxation, not
only to pay for the same, but also the
additional burden for all time TO come
of beautifying with fountain, furniture,
Statuary and public gardens, these eX-
traYagant, needless and useless pur-
chaseS.
Your committee is further satisfied
that neither Of these schemes could have
been consummated alone singly. but
that by combination of SpeculatOrS an
undue influence was brought to bear
upon the board of fire commissioners,
who we're by that undue influence in
duced to perpetrate this monStrous pub
lie wrong.
Your committee are also satisfied that
the several schemes being thus all
linked together in the unduy punctured
action Of the park commissioners are all
alike tainted with and vtiated with the
wrongly procured action of that board,
and your committee advise that imme-
diate proceedings be Instituted to for
ever enioin the board of public works
from acting under either or any OF said
orders.
Some EnIiamnatOry Speeches.
MIR. Humphrey spoke on the report,
and emphasized the report relative TO
the undue influence. He said that the
park board had not been charged with
receiving money, but they had been I'M
portuned until they had acted against
their best judgment. For his part, he
was opposed to all the parks at this
time, as the times are two hard to pay
the half-million dollars required to
paw for them. He wanted the
board to wait until the crest of
the wave of prosperity came and the tax
payers can then better afford to pay the
assessments for park purposes. He op-
posed the stand taken by the board of
public works to condemn the land for
parks He said it was wrong to force
Oh the people lots by the wholesale at
retail prices. AS to the Indian Mound
park he had not so much objection as he
has to the Cleveland park and some
others.
Several others made speeches in Op-
position to the Cleveland park, among
them being Peter BOtt, E. G.. Starkey,
Fred Bott, H. l.. Gray and Matt Egan.
John Joyce said that the most of the
Taxpayers in the Second ward are work
ingmen, who can't afford to pay the
assessment for park purposes without
hardship. The money is of more benefit
| to them than the parks would be several
miles away. For his part, if Fuller and
Middleton and others of the syndicate
that owns the land want the park, let
them pay for it or give it to the city.
Let the spectators hold the land for
speculation,'' he added. Several others
spoke in the same strain.
Limited TO One Park.
Mr.. Bott said that Cleveland park is
a revival of the old Lincoln park scheme
that was buried years ago. The East
Side syndicate has revived the scheme
again. A short time ago the land was
advertised to. be sold to satisfy mort
gage for S73, 900, and the syndicate wants
to turn the land over to the city to pay
the Indebtedness. They had given
the park new dress and used
dishonorable deal. He advised
taking action Oh the Cleveland park
matter alone. Here considerable
rumpus ensued, and it was finally de-
cided by the meeting to appoint COM
| mttee to wait on the park board and
ask ii to reScind It's action relative to
the condemnation of land for Cleveland
park. Judge Humphrey appointed as
this committee Peter Bot, E. c. Starkey,
William Zollman, John Joyce and II. l..
Gray. Mr.. Joyce then moved that this
committee act against all the new parks.
This brought on a hurricane. Many of the
people were opposed to interfering with
Indian Mound park or with others IN
other parts of the city. The motion was
put and Chairman Humphrey decided
the motion carried. MIR. Gray got angry
and refused to serve ON a committee
that would go further than the Cleve-
land park matter. A division was
called for. and great confusion en-
sued. The chairman decided the
motion carried, and that it included
i'll it's scope Phalen park. Mounds
park, Cleveland park and Lienau
park. Mr.. Gray grew frantic. He
| called the chairman and Others hard