St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-04-11
REVIEWS OF THE REVIEWS.

The Foram-There is in the Demo
cratic. as In every party. an element
which may be termed opDortunists.
Any party is in bad way when this
element gets control. They are those
men who sneer at reform, deride princi-
Piles. look on platform pledges as good
bait if they catch the guileless. but are
never TO DC taken seriously. Party vic
tory means to them not the opportunity
to put in force policies and measures
based on its principles. but as letting
down OF the bars which have kept "the
boys" out of the orchards. If this sue
cess is to be had by describing party
principles, all right. overheard with
them: if trades, diekerS, deals, Law
ish use of ''fat" will bring it,
buy and sell, dicker and deal
If one of those epidenics OF poIit-
zeal fallacies 10 which every young
nation is as subject as infancy is to
collie or the measles. sweeps over the
country and gathers victims in suf-
ficient number to make their votes a
factor in campaign, the opportuniSt
not only becomes affected with the
heresy himself but would innOculate
his party with it. He becomes a pro-
hibiti0nist here, protectionist there, Il
greenbacker in another and now sill
verite or alliancite. They listen with
bored indifference to discussions OF
principles; they are willing always the
the other fellows who wait them should
have the resolutions if only they can
get the delegates. They have no Stom-
ach for an educational campaign which
-
foundations of future permanent sue
cess; it is imme diate results they are
after
Such an element is not wholly with
out its uses. IL serves to keep the party
pool from stagnating by its selfish actiy-
tiles: it { orS the brass band and torch
light end of campaign; IL forces COM
muntie5 into terment and serves good
end by compelling general attention to
the fact that a struggle is OH and thus
set men To thinking about the issues III
VOWED. But they need always to Le
kept within narrow limits; let them
have the run of the lower deck. but
keep them out of the pilot house. Up
there they are certain 10 strike every
bar in the river and foul with every
snag. Passengers in THESE political
crafts all know this and when they see
All opportuniSt at the wheel they either
refuse to take passage or take another
line. sCf,
But fortunately alike for the country
and parties. there is another element in
every party which, to borrow from thu.
French another designations without its
SENSE. may be termed the rights. They
k now clearly what their party Stands
for, what its principles are, why it is
the party it is and not some other. Thew,
have intelligence, sense and convictions
which they will not easily surrender,
They are safe men in the pilot house
They are always holding the craft to It's
course; no siren song beguiles them.
Ordinarily the 0pportunists recognize
this. the shreWder of them seeing Thar
their chances of getting plumber are
best secured by doing So. and leave to
the rights the general conduct OF the
party while they look after the ioaves
ami fishes. To this class belongs
men OF the type OF Hon. William l..
Wilson. the scnular, economist. States
man, whose article. "A Campaign for
Principle" is one of the most, if not the
most, Interesting articles in the Forum
this month. He sketches briefly the
causes which kept the Democratic party
| after the war merely in opposition, and
prevented it from being initiative, and
by reason Of this course. kept it i'll the
minority. but the rank and file were
ready for the word of command, and,
when that word came from President
Cleveland in 1881. they marched forth
wiin great entiiusiaS,n for a great causr.
and VITA snn-eIhiilg ul tile affirmative
Ana a-gr so.ye purpose t,ilt had 80 often