The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-12-13
A CURIOUS THEORY.

The necessity of coming to the relief
of a Republican city administration
has driven the Pioneer Press to assert
a remarkable doctrine concerning the
functions of municipal governments in
general 1t has finally discovered that
contracts for the disposition of garbage
in ST. Paul do not amount to anything.
1t observes that the usual preparations
are being made to let new contract
and to pay the happy contractor who
may secure it for. not doing the work.
It is aware that penalty and forfeiture
clauses. have been included in previous
contracts, and it describes accurately
the reasons why political pull, spe-
cious arguments, log-rolling and bull
doing, everything except plain die
tates of honesty and business common
sense, were called into play. with the
result that the necessary number Of
votes were not forthcoming. 1t also
foretells with equal certainty what will
happen if reliance is placed for another
year upon this same rotten bulwark.
1t says Of the committee that have in
charge the framing Of new charter
that mo matter what their present in
tentions may be as to living up to
their profession, they will find the pres
sure upon them and their colleagues,
when action is demanded, too strong
to be resisted
So far, this is exceedingly well. 1t
tells the story of past mal-administra-
ton, for which, by the way, we wish
to state here that we give equal cen
sure to every man who participated in
1t, whether Democrat or Republican,
and hoists the danger signal that the
G. b e has been flying for long time
past But it proceeds forthwith to
weaken it's whole statement and to
enunciate a most remarkable principle
of government by an endeavor to ex-
culpate the guilty parties. This Won
derful doctrine is laid down in the
following sentences: Practically, the
only contracts that have been grossly
violated are those whose enforcement
lay with the council. The difficulty lies
not with the men who compose the
council, but is inherent in the contract
itself" According to this, there is in
existence a vicious and crime condon-
ing entity known as the common coun-
Gil which is wholly distinct and differ
ent from the particular individuals of
whom that council is made up. These
individuals are thoroughly estimable
gentlemen, each one incapable Of par
ticipating in or consenting to a public
wrong. But when they assemble in a
room at the city hall and proceed to
pass ordinances and let contracts and
vote appropriations, they are suddenly
and miraculously transformed into a
sort of malignant ogre, which is capa-
bic of delighting in every species of
wickedness.
We do not know Of anything better
calculated to relieve the representa-
tives of the people from the response
bility which they ought to be made
to feel most severely than just such
palliative arguments as this. We are
not protesting against the proposal OF
the Pioneer Press that the enforcement
Of the garbage contract should be re-
signed by the council and placed en-
tirely in the hands Of the health com
missioner II we can 5ESge by the
facts as they have appeared during the
past year, it would have been very
much better for the city If such ar
arrangement had been then In force
The health commissioner has been true
to his oath Of office. He has refused tc
say that work was done when IT was
not done, or to audit bills for public
service which had been shamefully
neglected. We have the right to as
sumo that if the power to act had rest
ed with him the accounts which the
council has improperly ordered paid
which the mayor has improperly ap
proved and which the city comptroller
has improperly audited, would still be
held UP, waiting for violated contract
to be fulfilled
But this presents to our mind no rea.
son for attempting to shift the rea
responsibility, or to whitewash the es.
Unable gentlemen who, whatever theil
merits, have approved. this partia
steal. The case was set plainly before
the common council. 1t had brought
before it certain bills for service al
legged to have been rendered. These