The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-10
A CASE OF HINDsIGHT.

Sented by the care of the market house
property could tell the people the value
OF hindsight as compared with
| foresight. We have but to look
back for year and remember the
proposition which was made to realize
how differently we might be situated
| today with reference to that property
/ than ever, of a public library building
suppose that today the market house
property were off the city's hands Sup
pose that today the market house
building were swept out of existence.
suppose that the patrons Of the public
library, instead of entering the filthy
corridors of the city hall and ascending
skyWard in antediluvian elevators I'M
I'll they reached the cramped quarters
where books are now stored, had a
magnificent home prepared For them
on the st. Peter street end of the
market house property. Suppose that
there we had a beautiful library build
ing, with ample space and accommoda-
lions for all purposes, with art rooms
and reception rooms and great reading
rooms, all the property Of the city for
ever. Suppose that on the Wabasha.
street end Of this property there were
erected handsome business building.
occupied for business purposes and
contributing to the citys revenue in
taxes. Looking at the property as it
stands today, racked by time and
weather, filthy and worthless for anv
use; listening to the wrangling over
whether it should or should not be
rented for SIS a month; and seeing the
committee of the council more nom
plussed than ever to know what to
no. 1t needs no great amount of hind
sight to see how much the city has lost
IN every direction by the rejection of
! the proposition made a year ago.
II that proposition had been accepted
not all the benefits that we have men
toned would be realized today. but
they would be far advanced toward
actually. AS it is, the city has an
old rattletrap on it's hands. Nobody
wants to buy or lease or use it in any
capacity. 1t is a non-available asset,
and promises to remain so for years
to come, for which no such favorable
proposition as was made twelve months
ago need be expected in the near flu
ture. All this was exactly as obvious
last year as it is now There was not
a single reason appealing to any intel
Hgent man why the proposition should
not have been welcomed There was
not single reason to expect that this
property would be in any other condi-
ton than that in which it finds itself
today. Common business Judgment
and intelligent public spirit urged the
acceptance of the offer made to the
city. 1t was rejected, and other COM
mittees will now go nosing around to
see how the public can be made to lose
least from this ineligible property that
1t insisted upon keeping in it's hands.
ST Paul is losing more from the op-
position that is aroused by every at
tempt to progress; losing more from
the dog in the manger spirit. which
holds that you ought to suffer cheer
fully loss yourself if thereby you can
prevent another from making a profit.
suffering more from the instant onpo-
sit1on that arises to every project for
public Improvement and every depart
ure from the old, narrow, hide-bound
ways, than it can afford The moral
of the market house problem today will
be worth something if it teaches our
people a little more largeness of public
view, lifts them out of the rut of
envy, hatred and suspicion of all who
are working in the public interest, and
enables them to enjoy some of the
blessings Of foresight, instead of la
menting always the good that they
have carelessly let slip.