St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-05-19
NATIONAL SAFETY.

The assertion that the country is far
safer when one party is in complete
possession, than when the affairs are
divided between parties, is regarded by
many people as the utterance of the
politician, but these people are greatly
in error. The politician of today courts
the favor of the opposite party, and it is
not an uncommon thing for the eX-
ecutive of state or city to appoint to
office few OF the influential men of the
opposite party. The executive gener-
ally has two objects in doing SO; first.
to disarm criticism of the opposite
party, and, second, to gain votes from
that party in case he is renominated by
his own.
By disarming criticism, he is enabled
to plan and carry out measures which
are directly against the interests Of the
people. Having thus escaped inveSti-
cation and criticism, he has grown in
popularity and frightened his grip upon
the machinery of his own party so that
he is renomInated, perhaps by acclama-
ton, or elevated to higher sphere;
and In his canvass for election he is
very sure To find his appointees of the
other party using all their influence
among their own people in his behalf.
With the affairs of the nation divided
between the parties there is an oppOr-
tunity for those in power to shirk re-
sponsibilfty. Many years the lower
house of congress has been Democratic,
while the senate was Republican. At
many elections the Republican party
rode to the front by making the people
believe that it would have done more
for them but for the Democratic house
which stood in the way. In all these
years there has been constant shirk-
iDg of responsibility.
With one party completely in control
there is no opportunity to shirk respon-
siblity. The people will be better
served by the retirement of every Re-
publican who holds position above
mere clerical one, and the appointment
of Democrats only to fill the vacancies.
This would arouse the Republican
party to a warfare of criticism and in
veStigatiOn which would bode no good
to the machine or corrupt Democratic
politicians. The people have nothing
to fear from the criticisms OF the party
out Of power ;ait is only the politician
who breads the shafts, and even he has
nothing to fear if the criticisms are
groundless. The public will no doubt
gain in time better understanding of
this subject, and then we may we'll ex-
pect to see the appointing of men of
opposite parties become unpopular.
Pension Commissioner LoCHREN has
taken the correct view, and proposes
that his medical boards shall be COM
posed entirely Of Democrats. Il take
the position" says lie, "that, as the
Democrats will be responsible for the
conduct of pension matters, they ought
to have control of the medical boards"
Mr.. LoCHREN's position is a very wise
one for another reason. The pension
bureau, as it now stands, is creature
of the Republican party. The Demo-
cratic party is opposed to some of It's
policy. A number of the most promi-
nent Grand Army posts have expressed
in resolutions their disapproval of the
wholesale and indiscriminate granting
of pensions which has been going on
some years. In view of this wide differ
enee of opinion, it would be unwise to
place Republicans upon the examining
boards. The Democratic party is not
afraid to assume the responsibility in
the matter.