The Saint Paul globe., 1897-08-18
RIVER AT s A. NJ
GIVE THEM THE TOWN.

B The ordinance prepared to govern the
relations between the Twin City Rapid
Transit company and this city, as pub
lished in our news columns this morn
ing, could be greatly sfmplified,
without changing its purpose, by
substituting for it a provision that
the whole city of st. Paul shall be
on silver platter, With the humble
prayer that it accept the gift and deal
with our people as tenderly as it may
We have suspected some such issue as
this from the beginning The evi-
dences that the street railway company
owns the city council have been too
numerous to be mistaken. No body
of disinterested and self-respecting
men, unless possessed by inconceiv-
able stupidity, would have spent
a year and a half in formulating use
less resolutions and playing hide-and-
go-seek with them, as the council has
done, unless they were mere puppets
whose strings were pulled by a mas
ter hand. The revelation of the actual
moving power behind the council comes
with the appearance of this new ordi-
nance. If the people of st. Paul do not
wish themselves TO be tied for all time
to come to the will of the street rail-
way company, and if they are unwill-
ing that their principal thoroughfares
should be turned actually into road
beds and rights of way for traffic as
rapid, crowded and dangerous as that
of any steam railway line in the CITY.
they will awake and make some move
before the deal is consummated.
AS we have said before, there is not
one single item in this whole ordinance
that looks toward a better service. OR
toward the safety and convenience Of
our people. No connection at all is pro-
Vided for the union depot Not even
the miserable concession of a single
line on Sibley street is to be made
The Fourth street tracks are to remain
the nearest that can be used by visitors
and persons having business in ST.
Paul. There is the same indefniteness
about the change of the Selby line into
an electric, with the exception that We
know definitely that the project is to
use one of the old devices hitherto
suggested, and not approved by the
public.
In return for these changes, both to
the advantage Of the company and
without value to the public of st. Paul
what improvement is proposed? IT
should strike our people with amaze
ment that, instead of asking something
for their further accommodation. the
council is actually shameless enough
to balance these proposals by still fur-
ther concessions and surrenders to tho
street railway company, that offer it
voluntarily and for nothing, privileges
which it has heretofore asked in vain
1t is to be authorized to change tha
interurban line into a through svstam
and practically destroy for public use
the highway on which it runs. If one
of the steam railway companies CEN
tering in this city were to petition the
city council tomorrow for the privilege
to run its through trains, at high
rate Of speed, up Cedar or Minnesota
street, and thence out Como or st. An
thony avenue, it would be considered
q piece Of impudence. Yet that is what
the council is prepared to yield to the
Twin City Rapid Transit company.
To put through trains on that line.
running at a high grade of speed
and stopping only at one designated
point, is to make 1t as dangerous to
life and limb and as improper for oc-
cupancy of any public thoroughfare
as are the lines operated by steam be-
tween st. Paul and Minneapolis. This
privilege was once asked by the city
railway company of the old council.
and the people rose in their wrath and
denied it, even when valuable consid-
erations were added on the part Of the
company. Now we have the council
preparing to surrender it, and actually
throwing in the right to the company
20 charge Is cents, instead Of 10, for