St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-10-28
NORTH STAR DEMOCRACY.

The meeting of Democrats in Mime
apolis yesterday and the public rally in
the evening are evidences of the Democ-
racy' S vitality in this state. The time is
not very far past when a conference of
the party, even during acampaign, was a
difficult thing to secure, and when even
the most loyal of its members hesltated
to waste their time in political work, be-
cause the result of any contest was we'll
settled long in advance. To-day we see
men struggling for the leadership as in
battle where there is hope of victory,
and celebrating plans of organization
that they may not fight at disadvan-
tage with an undiscplined following.
All this is encouraging and commenda-
bic. There is prize worth striving for.
and it can be secured only by such con-
servative and concentrated effort as this.
Ii any state In the Union ought in rea-
son to be found in the Democracy's col
umn, it is Minnesota. That it is not
proves how little alive its people are to
their own best interests. There are
communities here and there in the
nation which gain temporary and
selfish advantage from the application
OF Republican principles, just as the re
are many individuals who have grown
rich out of the opportunities our recent
tariff legislation has opened to them.
But the welfare Of so overwhelming a
majority in commonwealth like ours
would be furthered by freedom in trade
that the argument is all on one side,
and that the side of the Democracy. In
New England, where similar condl-
ton OF affairs exists for other causes,
there has of late years been great
awakening. Connecticut and Rhode
Island are now safe Democratic states,
and Massachusetts, in spite of its ira
ditional position, is a doubtful one.
But in the Northwest the work of
emancipation has gone on more slowly,
and no electoral votes in this section
can be surely relied on for the Demo-
cratic candidate in 1892, no matter who
he may be.
The explanation of this difference is
to be found mainly in the character of
our Western civilization. The New
England population is compact, easily
reached, interested in the discussion of
public questions. responsive to the same
influences. In Minnesota and the Da-
kotas there are many sparse settlements
covering tremendous area and peo-
pied by men coming from every quarter
under heaven, with but few ideas in
common and demanding all sorts of
different agencies for their enlighten-
ment. The conversion Of states like these
is gigantic undertaking, and unless
the truth is carried home to them in all
sorts of shapes and with tireless per-
sistence, they will continue in their
original prejudices TO the end of their
lives. The purpose of the North Star
Democratic club, as publicly announced,
is to rouse such voters to Investigation
and freedom of thought by establishing
local associations which they can at
tend, and with which they can ally
themselves if they care to. No plan
could be devised which is better calcu-
lated to achieve great results; and, if it
is fairly and honestly carried out with
out self-Seeking. we can look for great
and immediate increase in the party's
strength in Minnesota