The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-04-15
MAYOR IN SPEECH
ARRA|GNS WRIGHT
Dark Days When City Was
Ruled by Republican Cam
dldate Are Recalled.


publican opponent, on his record as
mayor of the city some years ago. The
mayor read from his annual message
to the council upon assuming the office
at the conclusion of Wrights term of
office in 1894, and the message was a
terrible arraignment of the malad-
ministratfon of Col. Wright. In view
of attacks that have been made on
the administration of Mayor Smith by
carping critics, alleging the existence
of evils in the moral life of the city,
the record of the past made interesting
reading.
Mayor Smith attended the First
ward Democratic meeting at 913 Payne
avenue last night, and while he did
not intend to speak, the audience in
sisted on the mayor taking the plat
form. He was vOciferously applauded
and several minutes elapsed before he
could make himself heard. After re-
ferring to the fact that he had ap-
pointed two prominent First ward Re-
publicanS to important municipal posi-
tons in the persons of Alex Lindahl,
inspector of schools and DR.. r. 0. Earl,
park commissioner, against the advice
of some of his Democratic advisers
because he believed them to be espe-
cially well fitted for the places. Mayor
Smith took up the candidacy and the
record of Col. Wright.
He has abused me at all his meet
ings," Mayor Smith said, and then he
read from Wright's famous interview
in st. Paul newspaper in which he
said he would make the run for mayor
and promised to give the city a good
business administration.
God save the city from such an ad-
ministratiOn as he would give" cried
Mayor Smith. LET me read you an
extract from my message to the COM
mon council upon assuming Office at
the conclusion Of Wright's administra-
ton of two years. I read this message
in Wright's presence because 1 deemed
1t my duty to place the blame for the
terrible state of affairs that had ex-
listed where it belonged and to promise
to remedy the evils. And every word
that | uttered at that time was abso-
lutely true. Hear what said ten years
ago." Mayor Smith then read as fol-
lows:
1 unhesitatingly say that never in the
history Of this city has there been as lit
tie protection of life and property as in
robberies, burglary, petty thieving and
confidence men, in fact, this has been a
paradise for this class Of gentry. Ordi-
nar1ly this increase of crime referred to
would be chargeable to the time and al
most laWless condition Of the country if
the fact was not known to many of our
business men that laWleSS characters are
constantly seen on our street corners in
the broad light of day, enticing their VIC
Tins into the vile denS known to the police,
and rObbing them. This state of things
a rad INN HoVlfs ~
crime can be eradicated, but our citizens
must be reasonably protected and If
placing at the head Of the police and de-
tective departments experienced men will
accomplish this needed reform l assure
you 1t shall be done.
Continuing his arraignment of the
Wright administration, Mayor Smith
said:
The town was terrorized. 1t was not
safe for ladies to appear on the streets
even in the broad glare of a MONDAY
sun, and I understand that many of the
ladies are fer my reelection, while some
or their husbands oppose me. The Wright
administration accomplished nothing in
the way of public improvements The as
Sessed valuation of the city in 1894 was
$124OO0,00 and the taxes in 1894 were
higher than now. Take occasion to eX-
anime your tax receipts Of the present
with those of 1894 and you will find that
you paid a higher tax then than in 1903,
and no public Improvements were made in
the year.
Mayor Smith cited figures from the
building statistics Of Wright'S admins
tration, showing improvements Of only
$1,605,339, and then showed from fig
ureS taken from the records of the city
how the improvements during the Re
publican administrations of Wright
Kiefer and Doran had averaged only
$2,575,127, while for the years of his
own administration the average had
been over $5.OO0,00O
He also dWelt at some length on the
school facilities provided during his
own administration Of the past four
years, showing the immense sums that
have been expended in providing school
facilities for the children of the city
and the necessary increase in the tax
levy from this cause. He disclosed the
improvements in the way of bridges
sewers, WOrkhOuse, improvements to
the public library that have cost money
| and said in four years permanent i'm
provement have been installed that
cost a total of $1,365,71O. The tax
levy had been reduced from $500 in
1901 to rs mills in 1904, with a prom
ise of still further reductions in spite
| of the debt Saddled on the city by the
county, which increased the levy mills
in 1902
After detailing the history of Repub-
Hcdn rule IN the city and the evident
fact that one term from any Repub-
| lfcan mayor was all the people could
| stand, he said:
And how about our record? Not an off
| Ger has been defaulter or an embezzIer
| and no crookedness is charged in oul
adm1nlStrat ton of the affairs of the CITY
| Comptroller BetZ'S system of keeping the
| accounts Is the beSt;l it has attracted the
| attention of cities all over the country
and | say without fear of contradiction
! that he is the very best comptroller the
| city has ever had.
E. Skoog presided at the meeting
| which was one of the best ever held
by either of the parties in the ward
In spite of the snowstorm the hall was
filled to its limit and every seat was
! occupied and. the telling points were
freely applauded. Other speakers were
| i. ID. O'Brten, p. D. Scannall, J. O. &C.
| derberg and Wlnn Powers. and the is
| sues and the candidates received intel.
| ligent treatme~+.
| The young men Republicans of the
city-or rather a number of them-met
at Republican headquarters, Fifth ant
| Robert streets, last night and per
| fected an organization in connection
with the Roosevelt Republican club
1t is intended to use the young mer
| in the spring campaign .vit t7-o
The Republican managers are plan.
ming for their meeting at Mozart hal
1 IL