The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-27
A Terrible Arraignment.


the city have leveled at its present ad
ministration and the party responsible
for it is fully justified by the facts. 1t
comes at an inoppOrtune time for Mr..
Doran, who, sleeping or waking, can
think of nothing but his chances for re-
nomination and reelection; but that is
an uncomfortable habit of Nemesis. He
has run a long course of combined
hypocrisy and peanut politics, and the
day of his reckoning is at hand. There
is no question that the people of this
city, in common with decent and man
ly people everywhere, have more re-
spect for courageous and outspoken
vice than they have for a pretentiOus
opposition that cOnceals a covert SYM
pathy.
If this administration had made no
pretenses, it would get off more easily.
1t declared that gambling would not
be permitted; and, although the clergy
men of st. Paul have not been able to
unearth it, and therefore have COM
mended the administration on this sim
necessary on several occasions to ex-
pose what was going on in this line Of
business. The administration denounced
in the strongest terms the maintenance
of resorts that were practically places
of refuge for the criminal classes, and
announced that there would be TO
partnership with crime under its
regime. It is found to be true that one
of the viIest holes in the city has been
in a silent partnership With the city
hall forces; and, when the facts were
exposed, neither the mayor nor his SUBJ
ordinates were able to deny or explain.
It was announced by the administra-
ton that at least one sO-called place CT
amusement would be put under such re-
strictions that the outrageous perform
ances forming a part of its past history
could never be repeated. To this the
mayor gave his personal pledge. lie
has been exercised, apparently, ever
since about getting out Of it, and so
abominable are the facts reported that
he has been making a personal tour
of the city to satisfy himself of the
results of his policy.
These are but a few of the items IN
the Ions account against this utterly
pusillanimOus Republican management
of local affairs. 1t has been both i'm
beetle and disgusting. The executive
has lent his principal efforts to the de-
TnOraliZation Of al departments of the
public service by packing pubic boards
vita Republican politicasters to help
advance his personal fortunes The en-
tire record of the council has been
summed up by The Globe in the
story of twenty months of attempted
street railway legislation, ending in the
gift of an electric franchise for the Sell
by avenue line. The police admins
tration, the direct creature of the
mayors act, has outraged all the pro-
prieties and invaded the liberty and
safety of the public to such an extent
that members of the force have been
called into court and heavy verdtcts
have been rendered in favor of private
citizens unlawfully detained and as
saulted.
Below it and around it all has extend
ed such a care for the morals Of the
city as is found in the creation Of new
centers of vice under circumstances
most scandalous; such an open al
lance with crime that one of the lead
ers of the vicious element is never men,
toned in any political circle without
his honorary title of mayor" and
a method of treatment of the evils COM
mon to city life which is a wretched
and puerile attempt at compromise be-
tween the widest license in act and
the most impossible puritanism in pro-
fession. The arraignment of the adj
ministr2tion is pronounced just, even
by those who do not wholly agree with
the policy of its accusers. No matter
what a mans view of the proper policy
for municipal government, no matter
whether he leans to the wide open"
theory or advocates regulation and re-
striction, he can find nothing but con-
tempt for what the Republican party
has given to st. Paul in a repulsive
mixture of the worst features of both.