The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1893-11-30
CENTRE HERALD.
THURSDAY. NovEEBER 80, 1898.
THE INDICATIONS.

THE INDICATIONS.
Next Monday will witness the reas-
sembling of congress for what is known
as the long session, and it is probable
that it will be long one indeed. In
many respects it Will be the most re-
markable session for many years, and
notably so from the fact that it will be
the first time in more than thirty years
since that body has met in general ses-
sion with democratic majarity in both
houses with president to make effective
its partisan enactments. The special
session was called for "a purpose, and If
the general legislation be treated with
the same weakness, indecision and lack
of patriotic wisdom which, character
lied the special session-democracy may
confidently anticipate relegation to
hopeless minority for an indefinite period
And the prospects are not brighter for
anticipating wise and unified action on
the features which seem now most prom
inent than they were for such action on
the silver question for which congress
convened to specially deal with. First
and foremost ia tariff measure, prom
ised by the party elected largely upon
that issue. and pledged TO a radical
change in the existing law. The party's
platform is clear and outspoken for prac-
teal free trade, denouncing the policy OF
protection as unconstitutional and at
trocious. 1t is noteworthy fact that
the people who gave their assent to this
platform by an overwhelming majority,
repudiated 1t twelvemonth later, and
before any action whatever had been
taken therein; and this action places the
party in power in peculiar position.
1t is convicted of inefiici,ncy at least,
and repudiated before it has had an OPP
portunity of even an attempt al legislat-
ing. This is not a violent assumption,
for the most casual observer must be
convinced that the several state elections
turned largely upon this national issue.
In Ohio it was the only and the avoWed
one, and so treated by both parties. In
Massachusetts and Pennsylvania tit was
scarcely less prominent. In New York
and New Jessey. while complicated with
other questions. it exerted an influence
which went largely to determining re-
suits, or at least fixing the extent OF the
reputation of democracy. What is the
position of the democratic party relative
to the tariff? THERE'S no question where
the republican party stanGs-it is unit
for the protection Of industrial and agri,
cultural labor. But democracy is float
AS usual. Letting dare not wait upon
I would" Free trade is the avowed
policy of the party, and very many OF
its influential leaders are not too timid
to SO declare 1t. but there is very large
element OF practical politicians who are
convinced that perpetuity OF party as
cendancy lies not along that line. They
are tariff reformers", which may mean
anything or nothing. The tariff bill
proposed BY the democratic majority OF
the ways and means committee is
mixture ofpolitical nostrums' nauseatinS
alike to the protectionist and the free
trader-to the country at large. Like
Macbeth's witches they would keep the
word of promise of their platform to the
ear but break it to the hope.
In dealing with the Hawaiian affair
the prospects are not more flattering.
The president has committed himself to
the re-establishing monarchy which
was overturned solely because 1t pro-
posed to so far abridge the rights of
property and intelligence as to disfran-
chise every foreign born subject, and
place their persons and property with
in the absolute control of semi barbar-
Gus, ignorant AMI licentious horde OF
irrespousibles, with neither sufficient
intelligence nor integrity to elevate them
to the place of mediocrity. So the
democracy finds itself practically COM
mitted to re-establishing a defunct mon
archy for disfranching the whites and
placing them within the absolute power
of a negro queen and her fellow natives
IN Hawai-, while Its domestic policy is
TO disfranchise native black citizei.s in
the interest of party supremacy in its
own stronghold-the solid south. He
who anticipates lively session OF con-
gress, and as its results a strengthening
of the assurances of a repetition OF re
publican victories in 1894 and 1896
will not be disappointed. The indica-
tions are most favorable.