The Saint Paul globe., 1899-04-19
THE SAME OLD RECORD.

THE SAME OLD RECORD.
OF all the cities and counties Of this
state it is safe to say that none has been
more uniformly misrepresented and be-
trayed through it's legislative delegations
than has this. during the past six or
eight years. We have during that time
stood In absolute need of intelligent mu-
nicipal and county legislation. We have
received, through our representatives,
almost every form Of legislation that was
neither intelligent nor useful. In fact all
the -legislation~that we have received in
that period has been proved worthless
by the courts and has wrought untold
mischief and expense to the taxpayers
of the community.
At time when our local code was in
a state of utter bewilderment, and every
intelligent and upright citizen who knew
anything about our local needs was
heard demanding some rational system Of
local legislation, one of our own Repub-
Ican statesmen proceeded to secure the
enactment of proposed constitutional
amendment prohibiting all special legis-
lation affecting cities. Since that
time confusion has been worse con-
founded and almost every law, honestly
or dishonesty enacted, ostensibly for the
valid by our courts.
The burdens of taxation have kept on
increasing. There has been literally
nothing done to give our people relief. A
conspiracy has, to all appearances, ex-
listed between our Republican office
holders and our representatives in the
legislature whereby, whatever was done
or attempted. there should be nothing
done which might interfere with the
oficeholding trust which now prevails
among us. Nothing has been done.
Our people. for some ihscrutable rea-
son, have gone on. just the same, sending
a Republican delegation from city and
county to the legislature. Year by year
the promise Of relief has been made, and
year by year the voters have evidently
listened to it with striking credulity.
The last election was no exception to
those which had preceded it. Our repre-
sentatives in the legislature which has
just adjourned were in the mass Repub-
ican. They have made a record for
themselves, and that record is now before
the naOD1a for their examination = Ia
such a record as favors the belief that
this city SIS destined .to remain: for all
time in the clutch Of a band of political
marauders. Excepting alone the measure
cororer's Office on a salaried basis. there
isn't a single enactment applying to this
city or county which possesses any value
whatever. What are these measures?
There is one placing the abstract clerks
office back on a fee basis. This is accom-
plished in the teeth of the shameless past
record of local Republican legislation, in
pretending to put our local offices on a
salaried basis, when, as the event shows,
there never was any real intention to en-
act any such principle into law. There is
another scheme for addional clerk hire
of $1,000 a year for the county attorney;
still another turning the appointment Of
county assessor over to the county COM
missoners, in fulfillment Of the purposes
of one set of politicians who are engaged
in local strife. All the rest is mere
ministerial work. Not a dollar is sought
to be saved to the taxpayers, not an Of
fcial excrescence cut off, not a salary re-
duced, not single process Of local ad-
ministration simplified or cheapened
We want charter as badly as the most
ragged tramp stands in need of decent
garment to hide his nakedness We have
scores of over-pafd, idle and unscrupu-
lous ward heelers drawing compensation
from the local treasures, city and coun-
them. The situation is as agreeable as
it can be to the off1ceholding trust
Hence, it must not be disturbed This is
the unwelcome lesson which is taught by
dl eAdIulNdtlOHe -OI the record WnlCh our
local legislators have made in the last
legislature. Politically, we are in the
hands of the Philistines, and there the
Philistines propose we shall remain. AL
ready the farce-comedy Of passing local
laws which are not expected to run the
gauntlet Of judicial examination is in
progress, and we are confronted even at
this early date, with a disgraceful squab-
BILE for the control of one of our most
important and lucrative local offices.
AS it has been in the past so it is now.
And so will it remain until the voters Of
this city secure political sense enough
from some quarter to. put an end. to the
shameless exhibitions of local official
greed and worthlessness that have been
in progress now so long, atS
CLOSING IN ON QUAY.
Statesman Quay has evidently been
brought nearer to the end of his official
tether within the past forty-eight hours
l Ht1r-, IA