St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-03-05

ence of certain conditions ana tendon-
cies among our people, which seem to
menace the integrity and usefulness of
their government. While every Ameri-
can citizen must contemplate with the
utmost pride and enthusiasm the growth
and expansion of our country, the sut-
ficiency of our institutions to. stand
against the rudest shocks of VIOLENCE,
the wonderful thrift and enterprise Of
our people. and the demonstrated
superiority of our free government, it
behooves us to constantly watch for
every symptom of insidi0us intirmity
that tn reatenS our national vigOr.
The strong man who, in the conf
dence OF sturdy wealth, courts the
sternest activities of life and rejoices
in the hardlhood of constant labor, may
still have lurking near his vitals the un-
needed disease that dooms him to sud
den collapse. 1t cannot be doubted that
our
StupenduOus Achievements
as people and our country's robust
strength have given rise TO needless
ness of those laws governing our
national health, which we can no more
evade than human life can escape the
laws of God and nature. ManifestIy,
nothing is more vital to our supremacy
as a nation and to the beneticient pur-
poses of our government than sound
staple currency. Its exposure to degra-
dation should at once arouse to activity
the most enlightened statesman
ship, aud the danger of deprecia-
ton i'll the purchasing power of the
wages paid to toll should furnish the
strongest incentive to prompt and con-
sentative precautiOn. In dealing with
our present embarrassing situation
as related to this subject, we will be
wise If we temper our confidence and
faith in our snatiOnal strength and re-
sources with the frank confession that
even these will not permit us to defy
with impunlty the memorable laws of
finance aud trade. At the same time,
in our efforts to adjust differences OF
opinion, we should be free from intol-
GRANGE or passion, as our Judgments
should be unmoved by alluring phrases
and unveXed by selfish interests. | am
confident that such an approach to the
subject will result in the prudent and
effective remedial legislation. In the
meantime. so far as the executive
branch of the government can intervene,
none of the powers with which it is in
vested will be withheld when their eX-
ercIse is deemed necessary to maintain
our national credit or avert financial
disaster.
Closely related to the exaggerated
confidence in our cOuntry'S greatness,
which tends to disregard of the rules
Of national safety, another
Danger COnfrOnts Us.
not less serious. | refer to the preva-
lence of a popular disposition to expect
from the operation Of the government
especial and direct individual advan-
tages. The verdict of our voters, which
condemned the injury of maintainin g
protection for protectors sake, en-
joins upon the peoples servants the
duty of exposing and destroying
the brood of kindred evils which
are the unwholesome progeny Of
paternaliSm. This is the bane of re-
publican institutions and the constant
peril of our government by the people.
1t degrades to the purpose Of willy craft
the plan OF rule our fathers established
and bequeathed TO us as an object of our
love and veneration. 1t perYertS the
patriotic sentiment of our countrymen.
and tempts them to a pitiful calculation
of the SOrdid gain to be derived from
their government maintenance. 1t I'M
dermines the self-relance of our people
and substitutes in its place dependence
upon government favOritiSm. 1t STILES
the spirit of true AmercaniSm and stu
pefieS every enObling trait of American
citizenship. The lessons of paternalism
ought to be learned, and the better les
son taught that, while the people should
periodically and cheerfully support
their government, its functions do not
include the support OF the people.
The acceptance of this principle leads
to refusal of bOuntieS and subsidies
which burden the labor and thrift of a
portion of our citizens to aid ill-adviSed
or langnishing enterprises i'll which they
have no concern. 1t leads also to q
challenge of wild and reckless pension
expenditure. which OverleapS the bounds
of grateful recognition of
Patriotic Service.
and prostitutes to vicious uses the PEG.
pies prompt and generous impulse to
aid those disabled in their coUntry'S de-
Tense. Every thoughtful American
must realize the Importance of checking
al the beginning any tendency, in public
or private station, to regard frugality
and economy as virtues which we may
safely outgrOw. The federation of this
idea results i'm the waste of the peoples
cOurageS prodigality and extravaganza
in the home life of our cOuntrymen.
Under Our scheme OF government waste
of public money is crime against the
citizens, and the contempt of our people
for economy and frugality in their per-
Sonal affairs deploraOly saps the strength
and SturdineSs of our national character.
1t is plain dictate of honesty and good
government that public expenditures
should be limited by public necessity,
and that this should be measured by the
rules of strict economy, and it is equally
clear that frugality among the people is
the best guaranty of a centented and
strong support of free institutions.
One mode of the misrepresentation of
public funds is avoided when appoint
meats to office, instead of being the re-
wards of partisan activity, are awarded
to those whose efficiency promises fair
return of work for the compensation
paid TO them. To secure the fitness and
competency of appointees to office, and
to remove from political action the
DemOraIizing Madness
for spells, civil service reform has
found o place in our public policy and
laws. The benefits already gained
through this fundamentally and the
further usefulness it. promises entitle
it to the hearty support and encourage
ment of all who desire to see our public
service well performed, or who hope for
the elevation of political sentiment and
the publication of political methods.
The existence Of immense aggrega-
tons of kindred enterprises and COM
binations of business interests formed
for the purpose Of limiting production
and fixing prices Is inconsistent with
the fair field which ought TO be open to
every independent activity. Legitimate
strife in business should not be super
seeded by an enforced concession to the
demands of combinations that have the
power to destroy, nor should the people
to be served lose the benefit of cheap
ness which usually results from whole
some competition. These aggregations
and combinations frequently constitute
conspiracies against the interests of the
people, and in all their phases they are
unnatural and opposed to our American
sense of fairness. To the extent that
they can be reached and restrained by
federal power, tine general government
should relieve our citizens from their
reference all eXac tionS.
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