The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-23
HOW NOT TO DO IT.

HOW NOT TO DO 1T.
Mr.. Arosin, the president of the as
sembly and a shining light among the
Republican politicians of the city, has
at least the virtue, unknown to most OF
his associates, Of frankness. He is so
thoroughly disguised with the party
and its performances in the alleged
government Of this city that he was
prevented from resigning his position
others and their representation Of the
injury that such an act might work
politically. He is not restrained, how
ever, even by these considerations,
the truth with a frankness that does
him credit. He Is tired Of being one
of the wheels in machine that re-
wolves in the empty air, without any
visible connection with sublunary at
fairs. He is weary and Disguised with
the work of a city council which for
one whole year has done nothing what
ever in the public interest, but has
studied solicitously and continuously
the noble art Of how not to do It.
Mr.. Arosin's description Of the coun-
put into power the precious lot of Re
publicans now in the city hail is frank
and just. Not only has it done nothing,
but it has tried. as consptcuously as
successfully, not to do anything. The
G. o e has followed, week after week,
the proceedings Of these incompetents,
and shown them up to the public as
they deserve. The present city gov
eminent is not a corrupt body, because
1t has not the ability that is necessary
to win that reputation. It is simply
lot Of dawdlers, of narrow-gauge pol
iticians, of petty ward bosses, who
haven't an idea that rises above the
level Of a conference in the rear room
Of saloon. For twelve months they
not one interest Of the city has been
benefited thereby. AS we said short
time ago, the sum total Of the deIibera-
tons and votes of these men can be
found in ridiculous and inhuman dog
ordinance, which they have been COM
PEELED to rescind, and an equally ridicu-
lous and oppressive bicycle ordinance,
part of which has been thrown out by
the courts, and the rest Of which is
condemned unsparingly by public opin-
ion.
The immediate grounds of Mr.. Aro-
sins discomfort are we'll taken He says,
and it is true, that the council has oc-
| cupied practically the whole year with
discussions and propositions relating to
the street railway company, any one Of
which has not amounted to hill of
beans. He is of the opinion, and he
has good reason for tt, that this is ex-
actIy what was contemplated through
out. The council waits upon the or
ders Of the Twin City Rapid Transit
company and does it's bidding eagerly,
with the silly idea that 1t can throw
dust In the eyes of the people by pre-
tending to an excess of zeal for the
public service, while actually taking
care that no improvements are made
and no changes that do not originate
in the wishes of the street railway COM
pany ITSELF We had months of debate
over the Broadway loop ordinance and
it is as dead as Caesar, and everybody
knew that it would be. We had other
months of debate over a connection
with the union depot, matter most
vitality important to the people Of st.
Paul, and nothing has been done, or
will be done probably, because it
would require trife of extra service.
We had weeks of agitation over
direct communication with Merriam
Park, and, although the way to this
was perfectly plain, by ordering an
extension of the Rondo street line, the
representatives Of the railway company
| it. We had an ordinance ordering
| University avenue to be boulevarded.
| which displayed its unfairness on the
| face of it. That was passed, simply
to pull wool over the eyes Of the peo-
pie, on the silly assumption that they
| would take this as evidence of hostility
| to the railroad company, and conse-
quently overlook the servile obedience
| to it's bidding in all other respects.
That ordinance was vetoed by the
mayor, as 1t ought to have been and
was expected to be, and so this one
bit Of accomplished legislation came to
nothing. An ordinance was passed re-
quiring the paving of Fourth street be-
| tween the tracks. and then another au-