St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-26
PUBLIC INDIFFERENCE.

| the people. There has not come from either
| side, as yet, anything which may be consid-
| cred as a popular demand for any single in
| dividual. Perhaps there has been more said
among the people in regard to Tilden than
| any other person, and for the reason that he
once showed sufficient strength to carry the
country in his favor In addition to this
| fact in his case, is the further one, that many
| think he should be elected as compensation
| for the shameful swindle to which he was
subjected in being deprived of the fruits of
his victory. There is a species of chivalry
among his supporters which influences them
to wish for an opportunity to show that they
do not sympathize with the outrage to which
he was subjected.
| Mr.. Payne, of Ohio, is regarded as a good
man, safe, conservative, able and he has
many advocates, but in his case as in that of
many others who have been mentioned as
| presidential candidates, the demand for him
| is largely based on his value as the repre-
sentative of doubtful state.
Morrl son is working hard and is most ex-
cellent man and who has earned some rights
to distinction by his long and answering
service in the Democratic party. Still there
is no especial demand for him.
Mcdonald has many friends and apart
from his local value in influencing the vote
of his state he has done much to entitle him
to place of honor.
Logan is booming himself. He cannot
even point to anything like unanimity on
the part of his own state in the desire for his
nomination. As matter of fact it is no
wise certain that Illinois in the national con-
vention, can be relied upon to give him even
a support by the majority of the delegation.
Blaine is undoubtedly in the field, but so
far there has been developed no popular de-
mand for his candidacy. Nobody in par
ticular seems to favor him. His support is
in the nature of rumor, it is in the air.
There is a small boom for Lincoln. He is
| talked of, not because anybody thinks he has
ability or fitness for the place, but because
| there is busy search for men, and he offers
some points that his supporters deem worthy
| of public approval. The main reason why
he is urged is that he is the son of his father,
| and that he should be elected that he may
serve out the unfinished term of his muir
| dered parent. In the same way
| and in the same spirit of graft
tude son of Garfield may perhaps some day
be presented and irrespective of his fitness
will be urged as presidential candidate, on
| the ground that he should fill the unexpired
| term of his father.
| 1t is to be seen that there is no general de-
mand from the people for any one person.
| The masses are not apparently in the least
excited. 1t is mainly the politicians who are
| throwing off their hats and trying to make it
appear the country needs this or that leader
at this vital moment. There is no vital
issue. There has been tremendous effort
on the part of some of the Republican news
papers to make it appear that the war is yet
in progress, but they can arouse no response.
The people have long since tired utterly of
longer cast their votes on an issue of mingled
falsehood and malignity.
There is an attempt to force the tariff issue
on the country. The people as whole are
not moved by the effort They do not SYM
pathize with the maurauding element which
goes about levying tribute under banner
lettered protection, nor do they understand
the sentimental theorists who are clamorng
for free trade without reservation. In fact
thus far there has been developed no candi-
date nor issue which stirs up the sluggish
pulses of the public, The people seem to be
Indifferent to the future, or else they refuse
| to accept enthusiasm manufactured by some
small candidate, and which is presented to
them to be adopted as their own.
The real reason why there should be a
change in the management of the govern
| ment receives no attention. The fact that
the party in power has been proved to have
been for the past twenty years the most cor
| rupt ever known to civilization should be
made the real issue. But the people seem to
have become calloused and lethargc They
| witness month after month the exposure of
gigantic crimes committed by the dominant
party and they make no sign of dissent. 1t
would seem as if the public ear had been
dulled to the cries of honesty and the demand
| for integrity in public places. There is not
| convicted Republican there, and there are
scores of them from Belknap tn Dorsey, who
has lost caste by exposure. They stand
| high socially. There is no objection
| to them in the business community They
are the advisers of their party and are influ-
entail in congress. The public has
| seen all these exposures; it has seen
the weakness of the administration in the
weakness which it has exhibited when af-
fronted by foreign powers; it has seen cor
| porations growing steadily in numbers, and
in wealth; it has seen the poorer classes be-
| ing increased at an unprecedented and alarm
| ing rate; it sees us without a navy; without
foreign policy; it sees an enormous sur
| plus in the treasury which is wrung from the
earnings of the people, and yet it seems to
suppose there is no necessity of change.
In brief the people are without interest,
and the politicians are attempting to force
| issues which receive no attention. Unless
something shall happen the nominations of
the candidates will be made by the politicians.
| They will have no reference to the preva-
lence of great issues or the statesmanlike
| character of the men but simply the ability to
carry doubtful state.
CURRENT COMMENT.
THE peanut is popular American institution,
and probably no one item Of popular luxury has
SO extensive consumption. In the south, how
ever, where it is most successfully produced is it
turned to the greatest account. A south
ern pader saws the Virginians are beoinninp tn