The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-10
A LESSON FRoy THE PAST.


A LESSON FROM THE PAST.
1t has to all intents passed into max
I'm among a large proportion of the peo-
pie of this city that whatever the city
has failed to realize in the direction
of the hopes and expectations of those
who have looked forward to its becom,
ing one of the greatest OF American
cities is in great measure due to the false
understanding which has prevailed of the
things which were necessary to it's pro-
gress among men who in the past set
themselves to the task of directing the
citys future.
We should have made more progress
than we have made We could have
made much greater progress had there
been less of seIfishness and more of
good sense and more of true pubic spir-
it among those to whom the mass of
the residents of st. Paul have looked in
the rast for intelligent comprehension OF
the true interests of the city, present
and prospective.
1t is of very little avail to indulge IN
regrets as to what has taken place in
the past The less well-informed of our
people can now readily see wherein the
city has been hopelessly handicapped by
false understanding and unenlightened
direction of its affairs. We started with
all the advantages of location and of pri-
ority in time. We had the falls of st.
Anthony within the territorial limits Of
the country. But. with a stupidity which
finds no parallel in the history of mu-
nicipal development those who in that
day constituted themselves the guardi-
ans of the city surrendered that inesti-
mable industrial advantage to HennepIn
county and received in return some mis-
cradle mess. of money or political pottage,
of the details of which there is no record
left. We secured The capital at cost
which it is not now needful to estimate
We were chozen as the Western terminus
of the railroads which first ventured to
extend their rails into the Northwest.
We lay at the head of navigation of the
Mississippi. We had g location which in
point of sanitary advantages stands even
today unrivaled
From those to whom much is given
much is expected. Have we realized
fully upon our advantages. or have we.
with more or less success, emulated the
performance of the dog in the fable.
which dropped it's substance into the
stream to grasp at reflected shadow
st. Paul is a city of 1853, $50 popula-
ton according to, the last census. We
have a city at our doors fifteen or TWEEN
ty years younger than this with popu-
Iat:on of 2O2,7 us. There are two
cities growing up at the head of the
lakes which still further threaten our
ascendancy.
Have we outgrown the narrow-brained
thoughtlessness of the past? 1t does not
appear so, judging by the effort which
is now in progress to get added facili-
ties which will be nearly adequate for
the handling of our transportation car
rying business. The same cheese-paring
tendency which closes mems eyes to the
needs of the present and the possibili-
ties of the future shows itself, which
wrought such damage to the healthful
growth of the community in the past
One opponent of the agreement as to the
levee actually warns us that we strike a
blow at the city's future by utilizing the
land in question for railroad purposes in
stead of holding it for the great develop
ment of river navigation which he sees
in the future. We must refrain, accord
ing to this philosophy, from. supplying
ourselves, or being supplied by others
with the means of doing the business
which is in our hands to do today for
fear we might be unable to do the bust
ness which miracle may send us In the
future.
The intelligent opinion of the communi-
ty demands the adoption of that agree
meEt. If What the general intelligence
dictates is in this case overruled by tie
shOrt-sighted counsels of private inter
eSlS ana private luQlNlQudlSs II Will really
be but another case of local history re-
peating itself. So far as the community
as whole has been allowed an op-
portunity to express its will it has done
so. That will is being thwarted in q
most extraordinary way. The city, not
the Individual, must bear the conse-
quences, if the hands of progress are
turned back We must be content to see
additional gains made by our CONNER.
cial rivals and our city held once more IN
the leading strings which have tied ur
our energies in the past.
It will be nothing less than public ca
lamity should the board of aldermen a
fits next meeting not ratIfy the agree
ment with the Union Depot company
which the community as a whole is anx.
ious TO see in operation at the earliest
possible day.