The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-03-14
The Water Question.

The Hennepln delegation has rather
delicate task in deciding for or against
the water bonds. Its members are torn
by conflicting opinions, and they are
likely to be rent by conflicting tax
payers. Such a meeting as was held
last night may help the legislators to
some information, but it cannot relieve
them Of their responsibility. No mat
ter how many public conferences they
may seek they will have finally to de-
'ride the question.
One rather strident individual last
might said the referendum Of the peo-
lple was taken last fall and they
Feburied the bonds;' a member Of the
delegation said the question was wheth-
Ter we should override the vote Of the
people. We beg to differ with both of
these gentlemen. The people did not
bury the bonds, they voted in favor
Of them in the ratio of nearly three to
lone. The question is not whether we
shall override the will Of the people,
but whether the delegation will intelli-
gently and courageously interpret the
plainly expressed desire Of the people,
which was for pure water. The people
want pure water and intended to say so
at the last election. But they find
now that minority Of dumb citizens
who went to the polls Indifferent, unin-
formed or undecided, are now the con-
trolling factor in the discussion. This
is un-American and unnatural. A ma
jority Of the people did not vote for Mr.
Jones for mayor, but nobody questions
his fair and4sauare ior.
ity of all the people voted in favor of
pure water, but we find that under the
law they were defeated by the minority
who could not make up their minds. We
have no knowledge at all that these
people were taxpayers. The entire prob
ability is that the negative vote OF
$500 represents all the taxpayers who
were opposed, while the 5000 silent vot
ers are those who did not care. They
went to the polls with personal politics
on their minds. The $1,000 who vote6
for the bonds, and they were major
ity Of all the voters, were those who
had studied the question and made
themselves competent to give an intel
ligent Judgment.
AS far as the taxpayers are con
cerned, The Journal believes they
are in favor Of pure water and are not
afraid Of legitimate bill to bring il
about by either kind Of filtration. But
they are afraid there is job concealed
IN the million-dollar bond issue, They
do not think a fltering plant can be
built for that money and fear the issue
sis but an entering wedge. Once as
,sured that the fltering plant can be
acornpleted for the amount asked, all op
position would probably disappear.
Can and will the plant, be built fol
sthe estimated. On this point the testi
!1nony Of City En- gineer Rinker Is i'm
sportant. Mr.. Rinker says that if hi
were in a position to do so, he woult
give a bond in the amount Of the con
tract to complete the fltering plant fol
considerably less than the estimate
Mr.. Record testified that, as the result
of his own Investigations, he thought
the estimates Of the special commits
sion were ample, We believe that il
the council will give the proper assur
anees that this matter will be put in the
hands Of the city engineer, and he be
given free hand to redeem the pledge
he made last night, the bonds will b.
voted by the delegation. This is {
question Of confidence and the. public
has great confidence in Mr.. Rinker,, Lei
the council give assurances that it viii
put the pure water business out of poll
tics and into the hands Of the enginee3
and the whole bond controversy il
ended. The question as to the kind o.
q filter can be settled when we get to it
Oyama is past 60, but then, DR.. Oslo