The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-04-04
unns of advertising.
We DOFF OUR HATS TO ST. PAUL

st. Paul commands the admiration of
the people of Minneapolis and should pro-
woke them to generous rivalry. AS we Of
the Flour City look down the river and
see the remarkable exhibition of public
spirit given by the people of st Paul in their
commendable undertaking to erect public
auditorium we can but acknowledge to
ourselves that our old rival has sur
passed us in at least one thing Strange
as it may seem to the Minneapolis push
ers OF ten or twelve years ago, it is now
so plain as to be beyond the possibility of
dispute that in public spirit St. Paul is
our superior by wide margin.
Minneapolis Is dead to almost ALI public
matters requiring the voluntary and dis
Interested association of men and women
for the public good In similar matters
st. Paul lis buoyant with life. The old
public energy which caused men of Min
neapolis to give time, money and hard
work to undertakings that would be of
personal benefit or profit to them only as
they promoted the public good, has been
exhausted. The old workers have died.
have retired or have become convinced
that their. public work was too thankless
and are now devoting all their time and
energy to their own interests.
st. Paul people are successfully effectu-
ating a proposition that would be impos-
sible of imitation in Minneapolis so long
as the present torpor concerning public
matters obtains. They are giving one
days income to the auditorium fund
professional men, capitalists and clerks,
laborers, transfers, carpenters and
workmen generally. The organized trades
are meeting and voting to appropriate
sums equivalent to the income of their
members for one day. Employees of large
establishments, from the manager or
president to the Office boy, are signing
one days pay. Throughout the city
there seems to be an enthusiastic de-
termination to build fine auditorium
and a general willingness to back en-
thusiasm with substantial contributions
The auditorium undertaking. large as
IL lSs As IlVeIe1y dill luClueuI anu illuStid-
ton Of the spirit that now pervades ST.
Paul. The city is, thoroughly awake
progressive and public spirited. Nor is
st. Paul unique in this respect. Kansas
City, st. Louis, Cleveland, Milwaukee
Detroit and many others are as wide
awake and as enterDrising now as they
were in the first bloom Of youth. 1t is
true, rather, that Minneapolis which sc
far as private enterprise and business de-
velopment is concerned Is abreast of the
best Of them, is unique in it's lack of pub
lie spirit. Yet the one-for-all and all
for-one spirit is as necessary to the SYM
metrical and imposing growth of the city
as that Of private enterprise which adds
fat percentages to bank clearings, rears
towering business blocks, loads freight
trains by the hundreds, fills the streets
with busy throngs and the stores with
eager purchasers. 1t is the spirit which
gives a clean city, a handsome city, q
we'll jared for city--in a word. an at
tractive city.
There have recently been some faint
signs Of a re-aWakening in Minneapolis.
We hope they to be followed by a
vigorous burst Of public spirit and civic
pride.