The Saint Paul globe., 1897-08-19
THEIR POLITICAL DEATH WAR


RANT
Thanks to the exposure by the
Globe and it's call to arms. the
scheme to railroad the street railway
ordinance through the board Of alder
men last night was failure. So de-
termined and powerful was the opposi-
tion that the measure was sent to the
committee on streets, and if the peo-
pie look after their rights it is beaten.
There is one argument = to which
members of the city council ought not
to be Indifferent, whatever other con-
siderations may weigh with them
Every man in either branch who sup
ports the ordinance turning over an
absolute control of the streets Of this
city and passenger traffic upon them
to the uncontrolled will of the street
railway company will be blacklisted
forever by the voters Of this city.
There is no doubt about where the
people stand on this question. When
ever proposition has come up in the
past, affecting the rates of fare, there
has been such a protest against an in
crease, or its equivalent the abolition
Of transfers, that no council has vet
been found so insensible to popular
wrath and contempt as to disregard
1t. If this one is to be the exception.
and if 1t attempts to carry out the con-
tract of infamy entered into with the
city railway company, let every men,
Der of it bear in mind that his political
doom is sealed. He would better get
out Of the present arrangement all
that the company has to offer him, be-
cause we will have no further use for
his services. This is no more than lust
If man is capable of so great a be.
trayal Of the peoples interest as is
carried by a vote of this ordinance
he ought to be forced into obscuritv
and shame.
The Gil o b e knows nothing and
cares nothing about politics in this
matter. 1t is not comfortable thing
doubtless. for the Republicans in ST
Paul that it is representatives of their
party by whom this transfer of the
peoples rights to the street railway
company has been planned. But it is
no particular satisfaction to us. What
we want is to see the company kept
within its rights, and such few privi-
leges as the people have retained kent
within their control, and not given un
without consideration. A newspaper
under the control of the street railway
company calls this scheme a s.com-
promise Were this not the bidding
Of the master, it would be inimitable
sarcasm. The compromise" consists
OF the bargain which we have summed
up elsewhere. and by which the peo-
pie of st. Paul gain not even the most
t1lf1ing advantage in exchange for hem
efits to the company that would he
purchased cheaply at the cost of a.
quarter of million dollars
The imposition Of an additional 10
cents on the round trip between the
two cities would doubtless cover, in a.
year. the cost Of putting such an ordi-
nance through a body that is nothing
If not cheap. That is just what the
new arrangement would do. All
through travel between the cities
would be forced upon the high priced
line. The local cars are allowed bv
the ordinance to consume one hour in
making the trip between st. Paul and
Minneapolis, exclusive of stops. Every
one knows that this would mean the
lengthening Of the journey to an hour
and a half or two hours, at the COM
pany's pleasure, since there would be
nothing to prevent its cars from stand
ing on the switches as long as the
authorities directed them to. A man
would be obliged to choose between
paying the extra fare and consuming
more time than he could possibly af-
ford for the trip. The result would be
lessening of through travel and the
imposition of the extra fare upon the
whole of It,
That is only one item of the long bill
that the public will have to pay if the
ordinance passes. They will wreak their
vengeance upon those responsible for
it later on. They will never forget or
forgive a traitor to their rights in such
an emergency, and the Globe here
announces that it will not permit the
record about to be made to pass into
oblivion. Let every man who contem-
plates, from whatever inducement he
may act, casting his vote for this bill
of sale of the city of st. Paul to the
Twin City Rapid Transit company
have ready a congenial place of retire
ment, for we think we know enough of
the feeling and temper of our people