The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-03-17
LETTERS FROM THEPEOPLE
Citizens of ST. Paul Should Manifest Zeal
and Dis4nterestedness

and Disenterestedness
To the Editor OF The Globe:
If il be not too late / should like to
avail myself of the privilege which you
kindly accorded to me some little time
ago of expressing the opinion through
your columns as to What is the matter
with st. Paul?" 1 am impelled to do this
now because of the partial report which
your issue of this morning gives of the
of the Northwestern Manufacturers as
ISOLATION. Let me lay down the funda-
mental principle TO begin with that no
citizen Is justified in criticising his own
city unless he be willing to do all in his
power to remedy any fault which may
seem to exist; otherwise the opprobrious
tach to him. l have lived in st. Paul so
long that ii would be useless for me to en-
deavor to Justify my right to set forth
the city'S delinquencieS unless it Is vol
unfairly conceded. 1t would be very easy
and far more agreeable for me to dilate
on our city's claim for precedence and
good deeds than to turn TO the public view
the reverse side of the shield. l have
taken occasion. however to say lately in
one two semi-public gatherings, that
st. Paul Is lacking in generous. disin-
terested and widely pervading public spir-
IL. There ought to be. in every city
worthy of it, an atmosphere which a
stranger would at once recognize as sat
urated with a sentiment of zeal and dis
interestedness prompting every inhabitant
to active and self sacrificing work for his
city'S veal In a section OF the country
where immigration is invited and new set
tiers welcomed. a city must not only be
hospitable to individuals. but to new
acquainted with the statistics about man
ufacturing, must acknowledge that this
branch of commerce Is an all important
one to a city's welfare. If ST. Paul were
as hospitabie as 1t ought to be to the en-
enlargement OF manufacturing enter
prises. its capitalists would be glad to in
vest in aiding those which have been built
up into profitable condition TO their en-
largeDIent and further success by the in
vestment OF money in them. There could
easily be named dozen of the smaller
enterprises of this sort today which have
outgrown both their capital and their
quarters which are hampered and rem
10 DE and might be for the lack of a few
thousand dollars wherewith to accomplish
their proper mission in the world of man
ufacture and trade This city Is said to
be. by the bond houses of New York and
Chicago. one of the best markets for
such securities in the United States:
such avidity that the supply is unequal
to the demand. Yet healthful and grow
ing manufacturing enterprises are allow
ed to languish for lack of money and when
our most successful tobbers and manufac-
turers are compelled to seek larger quar-
tiers because this city has proved so ia
ers that they have not long since been
must of necessity seek outside capital in
most instances to erect for them the
warehouses and stores they need. There
is loud call today for buildings to shell
ter both wholesale and retail business
houses; the land to put them on can be
purchased lower than in any other city
OF its size In the United States IL not in
the world; the location OF the unoccu-
pied business lots. both wholesale and re-
tail. Is so strikingiy convenient and IA
vorable that 1t Is the wonder OF stran-
gers that they have not long since been
improved. IL improved they would yield
an income higher than any safe interest
bearing investment which can be bought
in any market and the security would be
undoubted
Up to this time how many. OF as the
exclamation might be put. how few OF our
benefit to our city, 1t ought to come to
be an axiom in America that not only
should no man die rich after properly pro-
viding for those dependent upon him. but
ly created by the opportunities which the
city itself offered as a place of business
ecutors and assigns without a part of II
being devoted, either during his lifetime
or by his last will and testament. to the
interests and elevation of the general pub
lie
Loyalty to a city, is a large phrase
and includes many characteristics, for in
stance conviction of its advantages as
place of residence and business; faith
in its future: appreciation of its esthetic
attributes: neighborly feeling for ones
fellow citizensi pride in its achievements:
discrimination in the judgment OF its
faults. and virtues and last of all. and
most OF all. disinterestedness and unset
fshness in ones labors upon its behalf II
l have ever said that anything was the
Of the fear that some OF these features
were absent from our citizenship: If the
city which so many OF us love so much is
to attain to what il should be in the rank
of the municipalities of America, there
must be a better public spirit which shall
be typified by the exercise OF such 10y
atty as have described
St Paul March Is.