The Saint Paul globe., 1900-04-22

Ihat Democratic defeat could be imag-
Unable in the face of such a meeting as
that which was held under the auspices
of the Eighth ward organization last
night at Jessrang's hall, University and
harrington avenues seems unreason-
able.
1t is long time since there has been
such an inspiring meeting as that which
sat and stood, and much of 1t, sweltered
under the ringing address of Daniel W.
Lawler last night, warmly appIauding
the orator, every sentence, eager for
more when he had done.
Mr.. Lawler sad:
MR.. LAWYERS ADDRESS.
Fellow Citizens: 1t gives me pleasure
to appear before you tonight to advocate
the election of Robert A. Smith and the
entire Democratic ticket. The campaign
is rapidly drawing to a close and it is
not difficult to state in brief and simple
way the issues which have been joined
and which the people must decide.
''The Republican papers and speakers
concede that up to about eight years ago
St. Paul was Democratic city. They
concede that it attained it's marvellous
growth. from a frontier village to
metropolitan city under Democratic local
administrations. They admit that during
a period of almost uninterrupted Demo-
cratic ascendency in local affairs was ac-
quired the magnificent system Of public
buildings and public utilities of which
every citizen is proud, which every citizen
exhibits with pardonable pleasure to the
stranger within our gates, and against
which except In political campaigns no
adverse criticism is directed-our public
streets and parks, our court house, our
water system, our fire department and
our public school establishment. All
these sprang into life and being chiefly
under the Democratic administrations of
Rice, O'Brien and Smith 1t is admitted
that during Republican rule no addition
has been made to the public equipment
and that so far as public utilities are
concerned the Republicans are simply ad-
ministering the fnstrumentalities which
Democrats had the sense and the fore
sight to provide.
4 QIere the speaker was prevented from
proceeding for some time owing to the
continued applause).
Not even The most rabid Republican
seump1speaker STUN osIo has Every ro.lar
e,,Trip Srhg,e dnT,n 1ms5anGe na oc- Is on Record
ocratic days Of criminal conduct on the
part Of Democratic official or the ap-
preparation Of any considerable sum of
money that was not demanded by the
PEOPLE at large and justified by the ext
gencies of the time. In treating of the
period which / have referred to the Re-
puDllcans carefully abstain from definite
and particular charges, because they
know that the expenditure of every dol
lar is matter of record and that the
municipal record OF the Democratic party
is clean and honest. / challenge the op-
position orators of this campaign to par
ticularlze in single instance. Name to
me one instance of an alleged eXtrava-
CANT or improper use of the public funds
during Democratic days and l Will prove
to YOU from the files of the newspapers.
from the minutes of the Chamber Of
commerce and from the votes of the COM
mon council that it was demanded by
both parties and by all citizens CHEERS. J
Htndsight is always better than fore
sight and even municipalities make mis-
takes. 1t is easy for wise-acres to look
back now and tell US of today how our
predecessors should have spent the pub.
lie funds, but 1 venture the assertion
that the same wise-acres of today were
the promoters of the expenditures of tif-
teen years ago and later.
Political parties and political COM
c,.~r-o.;., mittees are bound
by the same princi
the Truth pies Of morality and
decency as arc indi-
Viduals l would no more trust a politi-
cal party detected in a deliberate at
tempt to deceive the people in cam
paign than I would trust a man caught
in deliberate lie. Applause) 1 charge
the Republican committee which is con-
Quoting this campaign with that sup
preston of the truth which is as much a
lie as the declaration of a falsehood, be-
cause 1t has attempted to deceive the pco
pie of this community into a belief not
warranted by fact or corroborated by
history. That committee is not honest or
manly enough to admit that the debt Of
this city was incurred for honest and
necessary improvements and utilities
which stand as assets upon the books Of
the city today and that that debt was
contracted with the consent of both par
ties and at the insistence OF all good citi-
Zens.
'Our Republican friends have felt the
necessity of making an apparent show of
exactneSS and def1nftenesS and have pa-