The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1914-01-02

TO the Voters of Virginia:
Fellow Citizens-IRhad no desire
at this time to enter the world of pol
itics and become al candidate for
mayor, even upon, the strong request
coming from many of.our citizens. I
felt. that I had given enough of my
time to city matters, ,Sas have served
seven years on the council and some
more time in other departments of
the city government But when the
citizens are determined and came, to
my house in a largeE delegation and
insisted that I must make the run,
what could l do even though defeat
was looking me in The face? Could
I have turned down. my fellow citi-
zens, friends and neighbors that have
supported me before, and men that
have been reared with right here in
this city; men that knew since trees
and stumps still were standing in our
main streets? !
And am in the field to win. just
wish to mention a few things to you
gentlemen, that havesco1ne to our city
in the late years. As5for old timers
I need no introduction; I am willing to
stand on my own merit. While serv-
Fed you on the. counfils made many
friends among the common people. for
it has always sbeennsSny desire to do
the people'sfwill. ~ i 4-.
T think that some of YOU will re-
member the fight bfought about for
the removal Of the big oil tanks and
! warehouses of the Standard Oil com
pany that We're slocahd on the east
lend of Oak streetss took that in
| hand and accomplished my purpose
thus reducing stlhs Of accidents
] to people and greatly reducing the
rate Of fire insurance on property in
that vicinity.
The proposition to open up Mesaba
avenue so as to connect it with the
Gilbert road was taken up while
was not on the council, but it did not
meet with the approval Of the D. M
& N. Railway company, as this
street had to cross all their tracks
and the matter died. When 1 came
lo,1> ~, +Lo oo,,no;1 +ool1 +b;ct ~ AZ
ter up and it met with some opposi-
ton, but l fought resolution
through that if the railroad company
did not build this crossing that the
city street department was instruct.
ed to do so and that the cost of the
same would be collected from the rail
road company, and they came tt
time.
l introduced and had passed {
resolution instructing the county
treasurer to divide the assessment o1
permanent improvements into five
yearly assessments, thus saving thu
people from being forced to pay al
in one year, which was hard mat
ter to do for many men who wer'
working for day wages. I proposed
the project of public market place
which has not yet been completed
and to which l will give my most care
full attention until completed.
l had prepared and completed tn
resolutions calling for the specia
} election on the question of purchasing
the light and water plant, and / hav
always argued that we should retir
the bonds by tax levy together wit
the earnings of the plant. Yo
, people know that the mining compa
nies are paying Sc per cent of a
the general taxes in Virginia, and
: has always been my idea that throug
this medium we could only get ou
5 share of the riches that old4 Mothe
2 Earth has brought forth, and it
|, only right that these companie
Y should pay literally for the necessar
t taking over of this utility corporation
! Being a member of the school boar
t together with one other gentlema
who is also candidate for mayo
: at this time, when this very questio
n came up in providing funds for tt
building of new school on the Sout
side, when I objected to bonding II
district he threw up his hands Ar
5 said: my God, we can't do that way
n 1 said "Why not?" He said, "Wf
n the mining companies will not star
It for it," I said that this district
e bonded more now than it ought
n be, more than 100000 now, al
Z these bonds will not be retired befo
! 1909 TooL Of Tho interest that NIL