St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-09

the matter OF suffrage. No law can
compel him to vote for any man he does
not see fit to.
THE ALLIANCE CONVENTION.
The GLOBE has never been inclined
to treat with diSreSpect the Alliance
movement in this state. or to withhold
from it the praise and encouragement
tO'which its protested aims seemed to
entitle it. This papers position in gen.
eral has been that any political party
organized for the express purpose of
advancing the interests of one class in
the community at the expense of all
others was necessarily out of touch with
the spirit of our institutions and in
arms against the principles of patriot
ism we have Inherited from our fathers.
If it had seen from the beginning in
the union of our farmers an attempt to
establish a permanent faction intent on
shaping legislation for their own profit,
no matter at what cost to the rest OF our
people, it would have had but little
patience with the project. But during
its early stages there was no reason to
so regard it. at that time it not only
included many men Of moderation,
patriotic instincts and great strength of
character, as it does now; but also the
most critical perusal of its published
programme of objects disclosed nothing
revolutionary or at variance with the
safety and peace of society.
The Alliance in Kansas and Nebraska,
as well as in many parts OF the South,
has deservedly excited the laughter and
contempt of serious-minded people. 1t
has voiced impossible ambitions in notes
of groteSqueneSs, and has put at its
head absurd leaders breathing falsetto
threats Of destruction against the set
tied order of things, which inspired no
alarm in even the timidest. But it has
been entirely right for the GLOBE to
speak well of the movement in Mime
sofa as an interesting and important
one. Although ostensibly directed by
farmers, or by those in sympathy with
farmers. it has contained the promise of
revival Of deep feeling Oh public ques-
tons. The class element in it has
seemed only an accident Of its origin,
into greater breadth and power. and
which would not suffice to interrupt its
accomplishment of valuable results.
Rising above the limits Of partisanship,
this paper extended it a welcome be-
cause it appeared calculated to call into
prominence new men for whom there
were no openings in the old parties, and
to bring about desirable reforms under
the incentive of activity and widespread
enthusiasm, and because it seemed
likely toinduce general denomination
of our political faith, with attendant
advantages to our common country.
The exhibition of the past week at
Minneapolis has proved how futile all
these hopes were, and has stripped the
Peoples party of all claims OF the con-
sideration of the enlightened public. A
gathering of farmers who, after a sea-
son of unprecedented prosperity, vote
to follow the commands of blatant
demagogues of the DoNNELLY and
FISH pattern, and to inseribe on their
party banner declaration of their de-
votion to the subtreasury heresy, is at
war with the aspirations of the good,
and is TO be classed only with the Gaia
LINES of history, who spend their time
in plotting against the happiness of the
honorable. IT there were the slightest
danger that this wicked and indefen-
sible programme should ever acquire vi
tally enough to become even an issue
in national politics, it would be the duty
OF all loyal citizens, without regard to
party, to unite for its eXtirpation A
more reasonable blow at our national
Integrity was never aimed than this one
which proposes to convert the central
government into vast shop for the pur-
chase of all commodities any huckster
cares to offer it. The minds which nurse
such schemes must be of one of two
sorts. Either they are of the deep, des-
perate and crafty kind which struggles
for personal advancement by pandering
to the worst phases of human folly and
ignorance, or they are of the crank pat
tern. distraught by wild dreams and
broken down by meditating on prob
lens with which they are untitled by
education or nature to grapple.
There is no fear, however, that any,
thing practical shall grow out of the
agitation of this subtreasury project as
long as there true Americans surviving
to defend the constitution to which we
owe our greatness. And if the fear of
such an outcome were the only reason
for commenting on the matter, the
GLOBE would keep silent. But it is
shocked und disappointed that the fair
name of Minnesota should be stained bv
such display of arrant folly in repre-
sentative meeting of her sons. 1t has
been our boast that, while the deserts of
Kansas might nurture and sustain great
hordes of wild asses, the fertile lands of
this commonwealth were the homes of
earnest, hard-headed men, not given to
Mysteries or extreme measures of any
description. In spite Of the present sit
uatiOn, 1t is not necessary to believe that
this is not true even now. There will
be an appeal from convention intoxi-
Gated by the sophistries and buffooner-
les of IGNATIUS DoNNELLY to the men
who composed t,when they have gotten
out beneath our clear skies aud into our
health-giving air. The GLOBE does not
admit that the Alliance of Minnesota
favors the subtreasury plan, even
though it has said that it does, and it
predicts general reputation of this
infamous scheme.
THEY ALL SMUGGLE.