The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-26


Against the small volunteer fire de-
partment Of that time we have a force
of 80 men to-day, and a department
requiring $550,0O0 for annual mainte-
nance. The small and poorly disci-
piiined police department % Of 1878 has
curing $225,000 a year. The tele-
phone, electric light. electric street |
cars, automobiles, paved streets, the |
large utilization of the water power, |
the building of great saw mills and |
flour mills, the development Of i'm |
mense manufacturing and jobbing in
dustries. the building of splendid
homes and public edifices, a public
! school population to-day as great as
the entire population Of the city then
the leaders of thought in the city of
twenty-five years ago could not fore
see.
Administrations of Twenty five Years.
Mayor Rand began his term of
service under the best of auspices He
succeeded Mayor De Laittre who had
brought the affairs of the city into as
good order as seemed possible. The
number OF wards had been reduced
| and the council was of good working
size and composed Of excellent men
for the most part. The full list of
aldermen and city officers for this
year were as follows:
| Aldermen-First ward: P. j. THE
len, one year; M. Lyons, two years;
B. f. Nelson, three years. Second
ward: T. F. Andrews, one year; w.
M. Barrows, two years; A. r. Camp,
derson, one year; H. c. Morse, two
years; D. Watt, three years. Fourth
ward: e. S. Corser, one year; F. S.
Gibson, two years; w. w. Woodward,
three years. Fifth ward: A. Frank
Gale, one year; Fred L. Smith, two
~,
ward: Karl Bendeke. one year;
Matthew Walsh, two years; A.C. Hau-
gan, three years, Selah Matthews, city
clerk. Assessors, A. c. Austin, G. B.
Dake, William A. Barnes. w. B. Hill,
controller; William Lochren, attor-
Evans, health officer; Thomas G. Will
son, clerk of municipal court; A. P.
| Munger, chief Of police; A. G. Berry,
captain; John West, sergeant; Michael
Hoy, detective; w. M. Bracket, chief
OF fire department; w. G.. Stetson and
G. Fredericks, assistants.
Mayor Rand's administration was SO
far appreciated that he was reelected
In 1879 and 1880; but in 1882
the city had forgotten its former ex-
perience with Mayor Ames, or after
the manner of American municipalities
had fallen from grace c'recovered
from its spasm Of virtue" as some one
has put it) and the Genial Doctor
was returned to the mayors office by
majority Of 1,754 out of a total vote
Of about 800.
But at the end Of his term the city
was again thoroly walked up and after
a most strenuous campaign elected
George A. Pillsbury mayor in the
spring of 1884. Mr.. Pillsbury received
{ 12.244 votes to Ames' 5,S7s. Under
, Mr.. Ptllsbury the city had good gov
eminent, but it was too good for a
certain ant ha
, after serving two years. Again Min
, neapolis thought it best to try DR..
Ames again and reversed itself in a
, most astonishing manner. This time
Ames received 1871 votes to 10,011
for the republican candidate. the re-
publican vote being 1000 less than the
vote for Pillsbury two years before.
Ames' plurality was $40. -......--....
, Two years again ended the Ames
, regime. Captain E: G. Babb was
, election the spring elections were
i abandoned and the regular state and
: national election day in November
adopted for the municipality.
P. B. Winston, democrat, sue
, ceeded Babb in 1890, almost re-
= versing the figures of Babb's cleo
= ton, and In 1892 William Henry Eus.
8 tbs, republican, won out with a larger
: republican vote than Winstons dem.
ocrattc vote Of two years previous
e The elections Of 1894 and 1896 both
3 went to Robert Pratt, republican, the
I latter year giving the candidate the lar.
= gest vote and the largest plurality eve,
3 given a mayoralty candidate In Min.
= neapolis. This was q vote Of 25,4O1
e and a plurality of S,791. At the mex
e election James Gray, the democratic
0 candidate, received fewer votes thar
t the party cast In 1896, but won over hi:
q republican opponent by 6,572 plural.
e ty, again demonstrating the uncertain.
s ty of municipal politics.
e 1t should be said Of these numer.
Gus changes, however, that they oc.
a Cured for the most part during the
g period of very rapid growth Of the
), city, and 1t was frequently the case
S that between elections enough new
r voters would come into the city to con
e troll the choice Of officers. From the
= time of Ames' election in 1888 to hi;
= election In 1886 the vote of Mime:
latter election thousands of men votet
8 who knew nothing of Ames or of hi:
r former administrations.
Another influence and one of the
s most obnoxious ones to the lovers OF
# independent municipal government
e was that of the state and national
= elections upon municipal voting. II
It is fact that Minnesota and Mime
e apolis are republican on national Is
J. sues and there has never been demo
8 cratic mayor elected in the city in a
= presidential year since the time of the
+ municipal election was made the
= same as the national election.
+ The Primary Law.
In 1902, the city had it's first expe-
s rience with the new primary elections
: law The primary elections are held
# under this law, on the first day Of reg
n istration and are by secret ballot
IS The law as 1t stood in 1900 allowed
$, each voter to vote with any party he
7. pleased. The result was the nomina.
e ton Of DR.. Ames on the republican
e ticket, he having announced himself
e as convert to republican doctrines
II That this nomination was secured by
e democratic votes cast for the republic
- can nominee was claimed by many
- James Gray was candidate for the
s democratic party and w. J. Dean was
:, run as an independent. But party
- fealty and the independent voting OF
- the wide open element landed Ames
=, in the executive office for the
r fourth time. The results Of this choic,
. are matters of recent history ane
"a need not be related here. Alderman
David Percy Jones, president Of the
ia city council, served out the tern
# made vacant by Ames' flight from the
% city.
It Meanwhile the primary law was g,
Z amended as to make a party declara
is ton a necessity before voting. Unde
l.. ORIGINAL r,1ap If was ot1yi nc,