The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-04-23
SCHOOLS SUFFERED
UNDER REPUBLICANS
Teachers Salaries Were Held
up and Hundreds of Children
Denied Slttings.

During these latter days in the cam
paign some of the Republican speakers
have been so reckless as to revive the
school issue. There is some talk that
they propose to bring ]. J. McCardy
from Washington and have their one
time famous watchdog explain to the
voters how it happened that the teach
ers found great difficulty in getting their
salaries at various times under Re-
publican rule
On more than one occasion it was
necessary for the teachers to threaten
that they would bring suit against the
city before the Republican city council
would find way to make up the pay
roll At least once it was necessary for
the teachers to go into court. Nc
Cardy, Kiefer, members Of the city
council, and other Republican officials
claimed that there was no money with
Which to pay the salaries, but when
the court commanded the payment it
did not require great while for them
to unearth enough to liquidate.
The same facts are true Of the police
department. Under Republican rule
the policemen were compelled to go
into court to collect what was due
them, and the city, in every instance,
was compelled to pay a large amount
OF costs and have its alleged bankruptcy
advertised to the world.
1t is we'll known that the schools are
now in better condition than at any
time since 1892, when the Republicans
were for the first time voted into Of
flee. During this two years the Re
publican candidate set the pace for
penuriouS treatment Of the school Sys-
tenn that was afterwards followed by
the other two Republican mayors
When Mayor Smith came into office,
nearly four years ago, he found the
schools in deplorable state. Thou
sands of children were either denied
sittings or were on half day sessions.
1t was impossible to find relief of any
kind for the first several months of
Democratic rule, the Republicans hav-
Ing previously fixed low tax rate for
campaign purposes.
In 1901, however, it was possible to
secure some relief, and since that time
the school levy has been equal to the
demands, and it has been possible to
erect a number of new buildings. The
Republicans could again inaugurate the
policy OF retrenchment as to the
schools, with the result that hundreds
OF pupils would be in the same condi-
ton that those were who could not Sc
cure SchOoI accommodations from 1896
to 1900.
Some of the Republicans without
knowledge of the conditions that then
existed. and others who seem to have
lost their record for accuracy, are
pointing to the erection of the high
bridge and the construction of the
Broadway bridge piers as examples of
Democratic extravaganza.
1t is well known to all who were Iiv-
ing In St. Paul at the time that the
erection of the high bridge was de-
manded by the Seventh warders and
that practically all of the agitators
We're republicans. Nearly every Re
publican property owner of the Third
ward favored the erection Of the
broadway bridge, and it was largely
through their efforts that it was de-
clded to construct 1t. The contentious
OF the Republicans on the score of the
bridges are denounced by leading
members of the party.