The Saint Paul globe., 1897-10-15
DISCUSSED AT THE FOURTH WARD
UNITED DEMOCRATIC CLUB
MEETING.
PRESENT NON-USE OF POWER.
TERESTS ARE SURRENDERED
TO INCOMPETENT, HANDS.
Norman Fetter Suggests the Old
Motto, ''Turn the RascaIs OUT
Interesting Addresses.

1t was an enthusiastic meeting that
the United Democratic Club of the
Fourth Ward held at the Metropolitan
hotel last evening. Good, clean, honest
government for the city Of ST. Paul, as
contrasted with the present misgoVern-
ment, and the crying need Of reform,
furnished the topic of discussion. That
the speakers were earnest and the in
terest keen, it is scarcely necessary to
say.
DR.. Cornelius Williams presided. In
opening the meeting DR.. Williams an
nounced the chief objects of the Or
ganization of the United Democratic
club. They were to secure the natural
iZation of all the voters of the Fourth
ward, and to create a healthy public
sentiment in favor of clean and hon
est city government. 1t was not ques-
ton of the mere political creed Of the
city's chief executive. What the people
of ST. Paul wanted was a mayor of un-
questioned honesty and fearlessness; a
mayor mortgaged to no man, nor class
of men. DR.. Williams then introduced
]. G. Pyle. Mr.. Pyle, after congratulat-
ing the club upon the movement it had
inaugurated in the interest Of good city
government, proceeded TO point out the
reasons why the Democratic party
should take the reins of government
from the hands of the Republicans.
There was never more need of the
Democratic party than today The
sole salvation of the country lay in it's
ultimate triumph. Believing in the
soundness of it's principles, Mr.. Pyle
6declared he was confident that the well
fare of the country depended upon it.
On the other hand there was little to
hope and much to fear from the as
cendancy of the Republican party.
Such element of good as the Republi-
an party might contain, no longer con-
trolled it's policy. Things had passed
beyond it's control. 1t had reached the
extreme, and as one extreme invariably
provoked another, the country was to-
day afflicted with the twin forces of
Capitalization of government as en-
bodied in the Republican party on one
side and Socialism on the other. The
only safeguard of the republic lay be-
tween the two, namely, in a wholesome
Democracy.
Continuing, Mr.. Pyle illustrated how
the policy of the Republican party is
cxemplified in congress-the govern
ment of the many for the benefit of the
IGW-WdS
publican rule. Instancing st. Paul,
Mr.. Pyle said:
There is no government in st. Paul.
That is literally true. Here it is not so
much misuse as it is nOn-use of power.
The condition is indeed bad enough, as
the Republicans themselves admit.
The interests of our city are surren-
dered to incompetent hands. The rec
ords of the common council alone show
it,"
Mr.. Pyle submitted to his hearers
that the present government of st.
Paul offered no inducement to other
interests to locate here. There was,
therefore, every incentive in the world
to take the city government out of the
hands of the brainless aggregation
now in control. The hope of st. Paul
lay in the success of Democracy in st.
Paul.
whats your PLATFORM" interrupted
man in the audience, whom nobody
seemed to know.
my platform is good government for
st. Paul." rejoined Mr.. Pyle. Further
than that, L will say L don't make
platforms in advance of conventions"
In conclusion, Mr.. Pyle cautioned his
hearers to go to work in a definite
and rational way. They had a large
majority to overcome. Unity and har-
mony should be their watchwords, and
victory would be their reward.
Norman Fetter was the next speak
er. Mr.. Fetter spoke briefly, but very
much to the point. He said:
"One of the greatest problems of this
country today is the problem of city
government 1t it is one of deep i'm
portance in st. Paul. In this city, es-
pecially during the past two years, no
one can have failed to notice two great
evils-the alliance between the police
and the criminals and the domination
of our city council by corporations
exercising public franchises, such as
the ST. Paul City Railway company.
These are the two great dangers that
confront us. 1t is the duty of the
Democratic party, standing for the
principles it does, to get together and
unite in stamping out these twin evils.
Our motto in st. Paul should be, Turn
the rascals out and 1 am confident
that if we fight along these lines we
will be victorious"
Anton Miesen said a few words con-
cerning the necessity of every member
of the club eXerting his individual ef-
forts towards securing the naturaliza-
ton of voters in the Fourth ward.
August Capehart was confident that
the Democratic party had vitality
enough to re-establish good govern
ment in st. Paul. The city was badly
governed. 1t was the worst admins
fration he had seen here in thirty
years. The present city government
was run upon the narrow basis of po-
litical debt-paying. Political ward
heelers were appointed to office solely
to work for the reelection of the man
who put them there. Look at the
board of public works. Men were ap-
pointed on that board who knew moth
ing about the duties of the office, but
simply to pay a political debt. One
man had stayed in the city council for
four years to get elected city attorney;
that was ALL Mr.. Capehart urged his
hearers to lay aside all bias and preju-
dice and put the proper men in the
proper places
short speeches by Duncan Connel
and B. Smith brought the meeting to
close.