The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-20
FAT JOBS AND FRANCHISES

The cat is altogether out of the bag
as far as the opposition to a new char
ter for st. Paul is concerned. 1t is al
lowed to escape by the amusing and in
nocent evening organ of the city hail.
which has neither memory nor discre-
ton enough to keep it's utterances con-
sistent two days together. 1t is but a
little space since the Dispatch was tell
ing us that st. Paul had no need of a
new charter whatever; that the Bell
charter was better than anything else
that we were likely to get, and that
any attempt to change it would be tn :
ing less than a public misfortune. 1t
has apparently forgotten all about that,
and now says that a new charter would
be a splendid thing, only we ought 20
wait two years more fer it. 1t refers
to the fact that another amendment to
the constitution bearing upon the ques-
tiCn of home rule is to be voted upon
in 1898, and is quite sure that this is
just what we want Only stop the
work that has been splendidly begun
and give US two years to breathe in,
and it will be all right
The hands are the hands of the edi-
tor of the Dispatch, but the voice is
that of the man who holds a fat place
under the city government and does not
want to give it up. All the opposition
IN oh r flo,
to defeat it originate in the shrewd
workings of the occupants of we'll paid
sinecures. who are filled with terror
because they know that the charter
commission will serve the peoples in
terests by reforming them out of ex-
istence. If they cannot escape alto
gether, they now beg and plead for
two years more of the privilege of suck
ing milk from the public treasury We
have little doubt that it was the in
fluence brought to bear by these gent e.
men that secured the resignation of a
member of the commission at the pre-
else time it appeared. Not only was
it withheld until a number of the judg-
es had left the city for their summer
vacation, but the public had assurance IS
that the member in question had ac-
cepted the position. sa a-a-
The scheme was evidently to post
pone charter work for several weeks.
until the judges should all return to
their places to fill the vacancy mas
much as a majority of the judges are
plot against the public interest is to
keep the commission incomplete and
postpone, if possible, charter framing
until too late for action at the next
spring election, so as to save the Jobs
of the men who are now fattening on
the city's funds we are much mistaken
in our judgment of the district court
and the influence of public opinion if
1t is successful
There is another reason, which recent
events bring into striking prominence.
why newspaper which is notoriously
the creature of the city railway COM
pany and Office holders whose acts
show them to be in close touch with
it, should put a block in the path of
charter reform if it is able to do
So Section 9 Of the home rule act
reads as follows:
1t shall be lawful for any such city in such
charter, or by amendment thereof to pro-
vide for regulating and controlling the exer-
else by any person corporation of any
public franchise or privilege in any of the
streets or public places in such city, whether
such franchises or privileges have been
granted by said city or by OF under the state
of Minnesota or any other authority; but no
perpetual franchise or privilege shall ever be
granted; nor shall any exclusive franchise or
privilege be granted, unless the question of
granting the same shall have been first sub