St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-05-16
THE STATE CAMPAIGN.

The people OF this state are wonder
ing what they have done that they
should be afflicted with four months
political campaign. The feeling was
general throughout the state that we
were entitled to rest from politics
this year, or at least as much of rest
as it Was possible to have and get
through with our regular biennial state
election. Outside of few politicians
who had axes TO grind, no one con-
templated more than two months
campaign, and most persons thought
we could get along very comfortably
with six weeks. But the few poll
tieians with axes to grind happened to
control the Republican machine, and
the result is that the popular will has
been diSregarded, and we are in for
full four months siege.
The only amusing part of this bust
ness is the effort being made by those
who are responsible for the early con-
ventien to relieve themselves of the re-
sponsibility. They recognize that they
have made big mistake. and they are
anxious to saddle the responsibility
on somebody else. 1t is an open
secret, and has been for some time. that
Gov. MERRIAM'S friends were working
UP the early convention movement.
When the scheme was ripe, the govern
or's organ, the Pioneer Press, sprung It
on the public, and before the Republi-
cans who oppose the governors renom-
ination had time to recover breath, the
thing was done. Then. no sooner was
it done than the same organ makes an
other labored attempt to show that the
governor and his friends had all the
time been favorable to an October con-
yention.
But without regard to who is response
BILE or who is not responsible for the
July convention, the nominees of that
convention will suffer for the skull
duggery that has been practiced. The
people as body are not to be trified
with, and they are perfectly competent
to know when they are being triled
with. No amount of CLOSING over will
conceal the fact that the call for the July
convention was trick. nor is there any
difficulty in discerning its purpose. The
benefciaries of that trick will be held
responsible without regard to what hand
they had in deyising it.
1t would be pretty mess for the
tricksterS, however, If the oath of July
should roll around and congress should
still be in session without having
disposed of the tariff and silver
bill. Their difficulty would be in know
ing how TO harmonize the state platform
with the action of the Republican ma
jority in congress. 1t looks now as if it
was the purpose of the Republicans to
run double-barreled campaign. They
propose to put up Gov. MERRIAM OH his
Farmers alliance speech for state
platform to catch voters going that way.
Then they will renominate the present
congressman On their record in favor of
the McklSIEY bill, to catch voters
going that way. That is, they will serve
out sauce for the tarlff-reform gander,
and sauce for the protection goose from
the same vessel, and thus it will be the
most heterogeneous campaign ever
known in these parts.
This would all be very we'll if the
masses had no intelligence or power of
discernment. But in these days of pop
ular education, and a growing tendency
towards honest politics. the body of the
people are enabled 10 see through mill
stones, much less to uncover hypocrisy
with such flimsy covering as the Min
nesota Republicans propose to cast over
their summers campaign.
Ii is the substance and not the shadow
of tariff reform that the people are seek
ing, and they are terribly in earnest in
their search. Nor will they be deceived
by the skulduggery practices Of the pol
iticians.
All that the Democrats have to do is
to stand squarely on their platform,
make decent nominations, and then
make an honest appeal to the intelli-
gence of the voters for support. We
want neither straddliDg nor straddlers
on our side.
An honest campaign on honest issues,
whether il be short or long, is the one
tn at counts in the wind-up.