St. Paul daily globe., 1891-05-20
THE CINCINNATI CONVENTION.

serious misfortune, but this is not a
possibility. There are no classes in the
United States, if we understand by the
term anything more than associations
of people for personal mpanionship.
Men and women of similar tastes and
experiences do prefer to pass their
leisure together, but no clique or coterie
has the right to arrogate to itself Su-
perior claims to consideration over any
other. There is not place in the eoun-
try where person of either sex cannot
freely pass from one set Of comrades to
another, as his desires or capacities alter;.
and neither birth nor wealth is essential
to the enjoyment of the highest social
distinctions.
In the field of work, where we spend
most of our time, there are not even
such divisions as these. Our world is
not capable of classification into labor
ers and capitalists, because the laborer
of to-day will be the capitalist of to-
morrow, and the man who this morning
hires servants was yesterday working
for wages himself. Inherited wealth
loses its power because it is cut into
small portions that each one of many
heirs may get his share, and because
the ambitious trader with Insignificant
capital receives infinitely greater profits
on his investments than the mOneyed
man who has no energy for enterprise,
but prefers a slight return on what he
owns to larger gains if they are accom-
panied by any risk The ranks of each
SO-caIled class in the community are con-
stantly being recruited by delegations
from every other. and in times OF ordi-
nary prosperity no set of men can wage
war with enthusiasm on any other set
because they cannot forget how short has
been the interval since they were en-
rolled among the men whom they are at
tacking, or cannot feel sure that they
will not soon be numbered with them
again.
The GLOBE is never inclined to make
light of the agitations of extremists,
such as are particularly prevalent in
our country at the present time. A
great deal of good comes from emphatic
demands for impossible changes. Our
whole system Of government is vindi-
cation and all embodiment of the spirit
of compromise. Each side shouts for
what it wants, and insists that it will
have it, no matter what stands in the
way. If methods were less peaceful
than they are, this would mean revolu-
ton: but its own actual result, as we do
things, is to facilitate yielding of lit
tie on both sides and readjustment in
nf q Ofi cfo
suffers somewhat. Had the voices of
WENDELL PHILLIPS and VILLA NJ
LLOYD GARRISON crying in the wilder
ness of a Slave-ridden nation received
an early and strong echo from the men
who in their hearts recognized the sins
of the South's peculiar institution, its
stain might have been eliminated with
out the resort to the violence and de-
struction which followed. So to-day,
the men who are declaring that they
will be satisfied with nothing short of
absolute free trade, and Will labor for
liberty till every industry is loosed from
protection's shackles, are achieving a
great work, although their avowed end
is impraeticable and undesirable They
are terrifying the army of idiots who
think that something can be. made from
nothing, and will force them to yield
position after position until we reach
standing ground where we shall really
have tariff based on revenue, and in
which the protective element Will be
incidental in fact as well as in name.
The convention at Cincinnati is COM
posed of extremists, who will ask for
measures in large part futile and dan
gerous. Principles such as theirs could
receive no room in the platform of any
party which cherishes traditions and
acts in the light of past history. They
are the emanations of people unlimited
by the barriers of experience and over
vaulting in their schemes, because they
have not checked them off against the
ledger in which are balanced the ac-
counts of human effort. If they join
themselves into political body, with a
banner and watchwords and presiden-
tial candidates, they will enter ON a
fight in which they cannot prevail.
And, even shoulda victory follow their
struggle, the things which they want
would be as incapable of attainment,
with the power in their hands, as if it
were in the hands of their opponents.
The profoundest dissatisfaction would
follow any practical graphing with con-
structive work by their leaders. Abdi-
cation or capitulation to inactivity and
acquieScence in the existing order
would inevitably result from such an
experiment. What the sineerest of them
hope for can never be attained through
the agencies they are using, or, for that
matter, through any other agencies.
But all this does not detract from the
value of their movement Their power
is the power of an opposition. If they
are early in the field with strong candi-
dates, and with platform clearly out
spoken..for amelioratorY legislation, they
will make themselves felt. The exist
ence of compact body i'll the country,
of large numbers, pledged to the eXtirpa-
ton of monopoly's supremacy, and to
opposition to currency contraction and
extravaganza in public expenditures,
will make questions of this sort promi-
nent in the canvass. In spite of the
presence of third ticket, either the
Democracy or the Republican party is
sure of success in 1892, and the Dem
ocracy will be the gamer by the agita-
ton of these great subjects. 1t will
not be extreme or impossible in the
stand it will take on them; but its posi-
tion will commend itself to the sober
second thought Of those who reason on
such matters. Between the sodden in
difference of the HARRIsoN-cond
crowd to the wrongs done the poor and
the. isolated, and the visionary hopes of
Mr.. PETER and his friends, the Dem
ocracy may confidently hope for the
victory, lwith its traditional policy of
economy and devotion to popular lib-
erty.
CONTESTING DELEGATION.
The Alliance state central committee.
whose chairman is C. PUET J,S and yxrhoca