The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-29
TOO LONG DELAYED.

The delay in filing the vacancy upon
the charter commission for ST. Paul
has been already too prolonged. We
understand that the members of the
district bench have deferred action
from time to time, owing to the diff
Guilty Of getting all the judges together,
so as to secure q unanimous selection.
It seems to us that a point has been
stretched here unnecessarily, since it
is not absolutely necessary that every
member should be present, and any Of
those Who have been absent from time
to time during the summer recess could
easily have been reached and their con-
currence secured. Now, however, the
cause for procrastination no longer eX-
lists, and still the charter commission
is prevented from meeting and organic
ing and mapping out it's work by the
existence of a single unified place in
it's ranks. The judges are still defer
ring action, and the people wait
We Go not need to state again the
Importance OF having the charter COM
mission proceed to it's work without
further unnecessary delay. The time is
already short enough fer the work that
mission has been engaged for months,
and still has plenty to do. If the new
charter is to be framed in time for that
patient and minute investigation, and
that discussion Of its terms on the part
of the people, which is the only safe
guard and assurance of wise action,
the commission ought to get to it's
work at once. Approaching fully the
courtesy that has actuated the judges
toward one another and toward the
commission, we have to say that there
are large public interests at stake
which ought now to brush aside all
minor considerations.
BY all odds the weightiest event in
the history of St Paul for many year
will be the making of this charter.
It ought not to be hurried, and yet
there is only just SC much time before
the spring election comes The judges
should not delay another day in max
ing the single appointment that holds
back all the work. and the members
of the commission should not incline to
wait until the whole fifteen can par
ticipate. 1t is not possible for this
10 OF
session. and there is nothing in the
law that requires it. The work should
be mapped out and assignments made
at ence, in order that the new docu-
ment shall be framed judiciously.
We are well aware Of the Influences
that have been at work, secretly and
insidiously, in every quarter to prevent
the framing and adoption Of a new
charter. We know the interests at the
city hall, which were determined from
the beginning that no charter changes
should be made that would eXpel a
single Office holder from his easy berth.
These people have not given up their
idea or relinquished their purpose. Ey-
cry day that passes without action is
delight tc them, and in each such in
terval they see a possible postponament
of the peoples hope and the realization
of their own selfish desire. In the
name of the people of ST Paul, who
want reform in their government, and
are trusting implicitly to the district
Judges and the members of the charter
commission, on whom the Whale re-
| sponsibility for any miscarriage must
fall. we ask that the matter of consti-
tuting the charter commission, and Of
the performance of it's work on its part
be carried to completion at once.