The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-10-28
WHY THIS PERSISTENCE.

WHY THIS PERSISTENCE.
Is there no ground for confidence be-
hind the remarkable persistence of the
street railway company in bringing
forward again and again propositions
upon which the people of st. Paul have
set the stamp of their disapproval,
Paul has peremptorily declined to con-
slider? We find that the Twin City
Rapid Transit company is going for
ward with its project for a fast eX-
press line between the two cities, just
as if it expected to carry 1t through.
1t is understood that the necessary
privileges have been secured from the
common council of Minneapolis, as, in
objections there. The portion of track
within the city limits to be turned
into an express line is only that small
space lying between the bridge across
the Mississippi and the city limits at
Bedford street. 1t could make no great
difference to anybody i'll Minneapolis
whether or not sidetracks were put in
along that portion of the route and
whether the trains ran at railroad
speed or not. In addition to this, the
street railway company has earned
some consideration in Minneapolis by
granting consent however unwilling,
to the reasonable demands of the peo-
pie. The superiority of the street rail-
way service in Minneapolis to that
rendered by the same company in st.
Paul is notorious. The comprehensive
arrangement for transfers, by which
passengers in all directions are accom-
modated literally, is another instance
of the difference between the attitude
Of the company toward Minneapolis
and that which it maintains toward St
Paul
Even, however, if it's mana cement
were to be equally fair to this city, we
could not and would not for one mo-
ment consider the possibility Of permit
ting what the company wants to do on
University avenue on any terms or for
any consideration. From Rice street
west, or from Dale street west, it has
in contemplation the old scheme of
practically appropriating the whole of
University avenue by putting in four
tracks, under the pretense that all of
them are necessary for switches" and
a fast through service, an experimental
car of which is said to have made the
distance at the rate of forty miles an
hour, and to charge an extra nickel for
fares on these cars, which are to make
but five stops between the two cities.
We warn the Twin City Rapid Transit
company once more that this plan will
never succeed. There are people in ST.
the death with any and all weapons
that may be necessary to kill it.
We do not believe that any
common council, present or future,
will dare to so far insult public
opinion in this city as to even
take such plan under consideration,
We know that, if a board of aldermen
or an assembly were found sufficiently
recreant to their trust to even debate
the matter, there would be a popular
uprising here such as has not been
seen for many a day Injunctions by
property holders would stop any work
that might be begun, and our citizens
would be prepared to take matters into
their own hands should that be neces-
sary. If the street railway company
wants to run through fast line be-
tween the two Cities let it do what
other railroads do-purchase it's right
of way and run its cars where they
will not conflict with local traffic. AS
for Selling a public street, a great high
way between st. Paul and Minneap-
oils, confiscating the value of property
along the line and running at railroad
speed for an increased fare, the street
railway might just as well talk about
turning the city hall into a power house
or car barns. We are, however, obliged
to it for this continued agitation, which
shows that it still has some grounds
for hope, unseen and unknown by the
public This notifies us all that it is
we'll to remember, in our local affairs
as well as in the larger field, that
eternal vigilance is the price of lib
erty."
The Democratic editors are at loss how