St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-10-29
CZAR REED.

Those who expected a brilliant flash
of oratory were disappointed in Mr..
REEDS speech last night. Mr.. REED is
neither an orator nor statesman, yet
he is the most conspicuous figure in
American affairs at this time. He owes
his prominence to audacity more than
to genius-that reckless audacity which
temptS foolish men to rush in where
angels dare not tread. Still, Tom REED
Is 40 fool. He is smart, even unto wick
edheSs. He is smart just as the devil is
smart, and goes around the country like
roaring lion, seeking for notoriety
which may land him in the White house
some day.
While Mr. REED is neither an orator
nor statesman, his words and opinions
are worth attention, because they are
the authentic statements of the princi-
Piles of the party in power. Tom REED
is not only The leader of the Republican
party, but he is its absolute master. No
car on his throne ever held more abSo-
lutte sway over his vassals than Mr..
REED wields over the Republican ma
jority in congress. SO, wta ever is good
or evil in Republican domination, Mr..
REED is responsible for it.
We invite the attention OF the people
of Minnesota, particularly the farmers
and working classes, to Mir. REEDS def
milton Of Republican principles as he
eXpounded them in his speech last
night. He doesn't have one word of
apology for the MCKINLEY tariff law.
He indorSeS every line and every SEN
tence in it, Notwithstanding there is
not line or sentence in it which
will open market for single Mime
sofa product. He approves every sylla-
bic of the new tariff law. notwithstand-
ing there is not word, line or clause in
the whole law which will either directly
or indirectly raise the wages of working
men one cent. He expresses himself as
being enamored with The tariff policy
Which increases the cost Of living for
everybody and increases the profits for
nobody except the tariff balonS.
But MIR. REEDS speech was mainly
devoted to defense CT that policy of
autocracy which he originated, and
which is the grosSest innovation upon
popular government since the days the
that JULIUS CESAR crossed the Rubi-
con. Little did the fathers of this re-
public dream that the time would ever
come that big-barreled roustabout
from Maine would walk into the popu-
lar branch of the national congress and
obtain permission from a serviie ma
Jority to establish a dictatorship over
that body lacking in the dignity
OF CRoMwELL'S pretensionS and sur
passing the absurdity of the ancie Mt
ruler who proclaimed himself a god and
commanded sacrifices to be made in
honor of his divinity. The absurdity
of the REED autocracy would provoke
mirth but for the frightful consequences
which are likely to follow. There were
thoughtless persons who laughed at
NERo'S folly when he ordered Rome to
be burned for his amusement. But the
unhappy victims of his folly were not
among those who laughed. Their wall.
ingS and lamentations filled the all
when they saw the flames lick UP thelI
once happy homes in obedience to al
autocrat'S mandate. And SO it will be
III PioSOoo VI tiiiO toii1 VIII pC
filled with the wailings and lamentations
Of those whose homes have been sacri-
feed on the altar which the tariff bar
ons have erected. This universal de
struction of homesteads, of workshops
and of the farming industry is the legit
innate consequence of TOM REEDS au
tocracy, as surely as night follows day.
And this is Republicanism. The
building of palaces for the tariff baron:
and the destruction of the homestead:
of the workingmen. The enrichment o.
the privileged few. the pauperism o.
the masses. And yet in their ignorance
and in their blind partisanship smal
number of men who belong to the in
dustrial classes gathered with the mill
ionaires last night and shouted them
selves hoarse in their cutlery of "Grea
is Diana of the Ephesians."
God pity those who have no pity or
themselves.