St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-08-22
NEW POLITICS.

American politics are passing through the
transition period which comes every twenty
sr twenty-five years. With the passing
AWAY of old leaders and old issues the
politics of country go through process
Of reformation. The political tendency is
toward young men and new issues. In the
older settled sections of the country, as in
New England, for instance, there
still fingers a disposition to venerate
greatness and great names, but even there
it is wearing out. Whether this tendency
Is for the better or for the worse remains to
De seen, but that such is the drift is unmfs-
taxable. A striking illustration of it was
recently exhibited in the Pennsylvania
Democratic convention. when Mr.. BLACK
was nominated for governor over eX-Sen-
ator WALLACE. We find equally as
strong evidences of it right here in
Minnesota, where the old political war
horses are being shelved, to be supplanted
by young and unknown men. The fact
that these nominations are sometimes made
through machine agencies is no argument
against the statement that they are mainly
the result of the transition processes Of our
American politics. The machine is
shrewd enough to observe the ten
dency of the times and to take
advantage of it. The machine takes up
the young man 10 pit him against the old
stager simply because it knows that it is a
winning card. The veterans are just as
willing as ever they were to be manipula-
ted by the machine, but the machine
doesn't want them because it can't utilize
them. An example of this was seen at the
Kasson convention the other day. The
machine wanted to kill Milo WHITE, and
If left to its own choice in the
matter would have preferred Nh. DUNNELL
as the instrument Of its vengeance. But
Mr.. DUNNELL belonged to the receding
political period, which is fading out of sight
and for which there is no resurrection.
The machine was conscious of this fact, and
to its consciousness of it Mr.. LOVELY owes
his nomination.
With the coming Of the young man into
politics comes new issues and the reform
Ing Of party lines. The Pennsylvania
Democrats have made a splendid start by
putting young, vigorous ticket in the
field on bold aggressive and progressive
pldIIOTUl. L uG HlISldhO tildt lu6 MlullcSOtd
Republicans have made is that they have
not recognized the fact that the conditions
which demand the advancement of young
men also required the declaration of
new principles. Instead of indulging in
glittering plattudes, which are absolutely
meaningless, if the Mankato and Kasson
conventions had promulgated series of
principles adapted to the present and
future conditions of the country their
work might have commanded public re-
spect, and have possibly commended itself
to public commentator. AS it is
the two conventions only demonstrated
an anxiety to fall into the current without
any definite idea of whittier they would be
drffted OF where they would land. The
present transitory period affords the grand
opportunity for the dominant political party
of the future to shape the policy upon
which It is to win. That party which can
most readily divest itself of the tradi-
tons Of a past generation and has
the foresight to discern the true
conditions upon which American
progress is to rest for the next quarter of a
century will be the party to be carried to
the front. The Republicans have proved
themselves incapable of doing it. Will the
Democrats be equal to the occasion and
grasp the opportunity that is presented?