The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-12-08

The perennial demand of the eX-office-
mel official rights, privileges and emol-
uments-mo"e particularly the emoiu-
ments-ts again resounding throughout
the community. And with the old and
privileged demand there is heard much
concerning the writ Of quo warranto, its
uses and abuses.
The writ of QUO warranto is quite an
ancient proceeding. 1t not infrequently,
as in this case, assumes the form of a
writ of ejectment, aimed at those whom
the people have said in their limited wis
dom shall be charged with public admin
istration by those who, they have said,
shall not be further encountered by the
cares of public station.
There are different ways of forcing
ones self into public position or of re-
tanning it after it has been forfeited &C
co-ding TO the rules of politics. They
differ, too, as climate differs. In the
communities of Kentucky, Republicans
have recourse to the shotgun chiefly,
and they have been known to have used
that effective weapon with that end IN
view from behind the bulwark of official
station. Ia St Paul the way resorted
to is usually through a quo warranto, and
that missile usually starts on its ca
reer also from behind some official
position either held or vacated by the
assailant.
OF course if a Democratic official is
called on to make a choice between the
Kentucky and the St Paul methods the
natural preference at once suggests it
self While the quo warranto is, Of
course the less deadly method, it is not
to be supposed by any means that those
who resort to it are less intensely in
earnest than those who adopt the speed
Ter route of the bullet. No one can
rightfully call the earnestness of our
local Republican brethren into question
in this direction. They have made al
together too many demonstrations of it,
Their knowledge of the quo warranto is
far more extensive, of course, than their
knowledge of firearms.
It is said that familiarity breeds con-
tempt The aphorism does not apply
to the Republican local official, or ex-
official, in st. Paul. The reverse is the
operation. Familiarity seems to bring
signal devotion, and, Notwithstanding all
tltet the supreme count has done to bring
this ancient kings writ into contempt
among the local Republican brethren,
they still maintain their faith in it's eff
ficacy.
The latest utilization of the quo war
ranto is what the jurists themselves
might call cumulative evidence of in
tense patriotism. They esteem the value
of their and their associates services to
the community at its real worth, and
they are determined that no stone shall
be left unturned, no matter what may
be revealed by its displacement, in order
to enable them to bestow their invalu-
able services on the community.
AS great judicial scholars have so
long been engaged in the deep consid-
GRAFTON of this latest application of the
quo warranto, it would be utterly I'M
becoming on the part of the Globe to
venture an opinion on its efficacy. It's
disregard by the supreme court, if that
un'oward event should come about, will,
we have nc doubt, in nowise discourage
the ingenious gentlemen who let go their
held last June So very unwiIlingly. They
will continue their labors toward the re-
.vival and efectuation of the quo war
ranto to the end, if only, we imagine,
to demonstrate still further how hard it
flied type to face the horrors of official
death and oblivion.