St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-03-28
MEASURES. NOT MEN.

s'There are questions and topics that
press upon the minds of our people, the
solution and treatment of which are of
vastly greater Importance than the po-
litical fortunes of any man."
The language we have quoted is
GROVER CLEvELAND's. The occasion
of its delivery was in reply to mott
fication from committee of the stu
dents Of the Ohio state university, in
forming him that at Democratic con-
vention composed of the students of the
institution, he had been nominated for
president on ticket with Hon. JAMES
CAMPBELL for vice president.
1t was very graceful thing in Mr..
CLEVELAND to c0urte0uSly recognize
the compliment paid to him by the col
lege students by writing them letter
of thanks, and it was equally judicious
for him to avail himself of this oppor
tunity to inform the public that he was
not seeking a denomination.
Mr.. CLEVELAND struck the keynote
of the situation when he says it is
measures, not men. the country is look
ing for. Available candidates are
plentiful and ripe in every section of
the Union. When the hour arrives the
man will not be wanting. The upper
most thought now in the minds of the
people is how to accomplish tariff reform.
This is particularly true of that class of
voters who train with the Democratic
party. They are not disturbed as to
whether HILL, or CLEVELAND, or any,
body else, is to be the next Democratic
candidate for the presidency. The
main thought is to secure an enforce
ment of Democratic principles in the
national administration, and the fore
most principle they are contending for is
a reduction of the taxes to revenue
basis. and a readjGstment of the tariff
schedule, SO that the neceSSarieS of life
will be relieved from the burthen of
taxation.
The Democratic party is in line on
this platform, and with the obstinacy Of
a GRANT propose to fight it out on this
line if 1t takes forty summers to achieve
the victory. In the oppressed cen
ditiop of the producing classes, a solu-
ton of the tariff question is of vastly
more Importance than the political
fortunes of one man. Mr.. CLEVELAND
is right when he urges upon the young
men of the. country Ito see their full
measure of political duty in laboring to
enforce the doctrines of true Demue-
racy, and in retrieving the people from
the deluSiOnS which beSet them"
Mr.. CLEVELAND's popularity at this
time is due to the fact that he has been
the boldest and abiest eXponentof DEM
Ocratic tariff doctrine, yet that does not
necessitate his denomination. We have
a SUSPICION that the growth of the tar
Tiff reform movement in the Western
states will demand the nomination of
Western man in 1892.
But that is all matter of secondary
Importance. Men are of comparatively
little consequence in comparison with
the overshadowing importance of the
principle involved. HILL may plant,
CLEVELAND may water. but it is the
tariff reform idea that gives the in
crease to the Democracy. There is
no such thing as staying the tide
of popular revolution when it once
sets in. The people are in earnest, and
terribly in earnest, in their purpose to
be relieved of the tax burthen. The
masses are on the warpath against
monopoly, and it makes but little differ
enee to them about the character of the
leadership so long as the command to
go forward is given along the line. They
are following the banner of tariff re-
form without regard to who may be
made commander-inchief OF the expedi-
ton. They will fight as we'll under one
leader as another, provided they are as
sured o. the loyalty of the leader to the
cause.