The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1894-10-06
REFORM IN MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS.

The demand for .purer methods and
purer.. men in municipal government is
making itself heard in countless ways
and places. In no branch ofour great polit
ical machinery is the need of reform 80
universally felt as in the affairs of cities.
There is class of men in every city
we have them in Minneapolis-whose
only business is politics. There are in
the city council of Minneapolis no less
than four men whose only occupation
and business is that of alderman. They
are men without any apparent means of
support, yet they appear to get on first
rate. finding enough 10 do and enough to
eat while working in the interest of the
city. When will the people wake up and
repudiate these professional politicians
who hang around the city hall or some
bar room scheming how to make rake
off? Let us elect men to the city coun~
Gil who are business men with business
principles and not professional drones
and aristocratic paupers. Let the ques-
tion be, has the candidate property end
a business upon which be depends for
support. and not, is he a clever fellow
and does he need the Office. We are the
friend of the poor man and deeply sym.
pathize with the man who is the victim
of enforced idleness, but we infinitely
prefer that the rich and busy man should
control our share of the taxes rather
than tho man who is poor and idle be
cause he chooses to be such. Elect prop
erty owners, men interested in the
growth, prosperity and beauty of The
city to the council. There is no CUES
ton OF olitics in city government, the
question is in regard to men, not meas
ures We know of certain aldermen who
ought to be sent to the workhouse, for
that is the only way they, could ever re-
pay the city even in part for the irrepar~
able injury they have done. Why elect
perfectly irresponsible persons, men no
go to the council for what there is in it,
when there are plenty of responsible and
conscientious men? The inefficiency OF
the present council has made itself mani
fest in many ways. The condition of Mic
ollet and Hennepin avenues at the pres
ent time is an evidence of that, the snap
system of opening and re-opening bids
on city work is also an evidence. The tax
payers of the city have been sending
pleasure parties to different parts of the
country osten the purpose Of
enGghtening them, but as might be ex-
pected that has proven impossible. N ow,
with winter not more than six weeks
away we are left with the two princip pal
streets of the city in most wretched
condition. The tax payers on one of the
thoroughfares have told the honorable
council what they wanted, but now the
professional aldermen impudently as
sert that the tax, payer does not know
what he wants. Our professional serv-
ants switch from one thing to another
according as they cut into this or that
contractor or company to better ad
vantage. The professional politician is
q dangerous man to send to a city coun-
Gil, better send him to congress where
the field is too broad and the ropes too
intricate for his small head to fathom.
lie could do little damage there and he
would be furnished employment and be
out of the way. The election of an alder
man is an important question, conse-
quently in voting this fall people should
consult their own and the city's best in
terest.