St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-10-28

the existing laws until repealed. and |
trusts TO the intelligence and patriotism |
of the people to repeal obnoxious laws !
by constitutional method, and to make |
sucn new laws, from time to time, as |
their own needs demand. |
The DemocI attic party believes that |
when the framework OF the govern-
ment was first made, it was well made, !
and, with the single exception of the |
liberation of slavery, a mistake amply
atoncd for by the blood of great many |
OF is own memberS, the Democratic |
party has ever been true to the highest |
ideals of national liberty and Christian |
life. 1t believes that the original 1
device OF the government prepared by |
the founders needs but little revision,
and from the earliest adoption of the |
constitution down to today. the Demo
cratic party, ever true to the constitIi- |
zion, has been the conservative party of |
the country-conServative in maintain
ing the principles of liberty. eminently
conservative tor the rights of the states
aid the people. In other words, the
Democratic party has been the only re-
publican party of the country. 1t has
proclaimed, established and maintained
the absolute right Of the people to gov
ern themselves by their own selected
representatives, and to govern them
selves in perfect liberty and equality,
without giving to one man, one state or
one class any special favor or protection
that is not equally extended to all the
rest.
PROTECTIONISM.
The protective policy of the Repub-
lean party is subyerSive of the very
principles of liberty. FavOritiSln and
equality are absolutely incompatible.
Followed to its only legitimate con-
clusiOn, the theory of protection would
make nation OF parasites, not of free
men. OF the men who favor protection,
the majority are actuated purely by
selfish reasons. They believe pro-
lection is needed for their own
financial and material interest. A
manufacturer wants TO go into bust
ness, and he asks that he be protected
that is, the people pay higher prices in
order that he may make profit, and he
JustlfieS his request by urging that the
people ought to be willing to pay more
than necessary for his products because
ultimately the protective plan will give
greater general prosperity-in other
words, that when everybody gets a
chance to rob his neighbor. all will be
happy. This theory is wholly uH-
American, and its failure in practice is
the great cause of existing injustice and
dissatisfaction.
Our country never needed protection,
| in my opinion. IL is the most prolific
| country the SUI ever shown on. Its
productlyeneSS is unparalleled; and
| when protection is given oan enterprise
| i'll order that it may be profitable, the
money invested in it is diverted by that
| fact from its Legitimate use and natural
| channel. The moment an industry cries
| out for protection, aud hangs out the
| signal of distress, the capital invested
| It Ina nnr
| tainiy, if invested in some other
| industry that needs no protection. the
money will yield better return i'll the
| end TO the investor himself, and will
J contribute very much more TO the gen
| eral prosperity, employing more labor,
| developing more capital. The hot
| house process was never necessary in
| the United States. 1t is folly for man
to attempt to grow oranges in MaSSa-
chusetts, when he can produce other
crops that pay without artificial forcing.
SILVER.
| Now as to the silver question. On
this. the Democratic party Is united, eX
| cept where personal or state interests
! are concerned. 1t is idle to say that 1t
| is Wall street and the bankers who have
created and supported this agitation in
| favor of honest money" Men engaged
| in financial affairs can see, perhaps,
| Will SItdIeI ClcdIilCSS blldH prOlcSSIOlldl
men like myself, how dangerous is the
of silver, and the distribution
of it among the people at more
than its Intrinsic value. AT the
same time, the professional man and
/ the laboring man, and the great ma
/ jority of the people every where IN the
country, except in the silver states and
| some of the Southern states, where
sentiment seems to prevail wholly apart
| from the facts of the question itself, are
| certainly in favor OF the declaration
made in the Democratic platform, which
| says not that silver is to be discarded,
| but merely that the coinage of the two
metals shall be SO adjusted as to secure
| their equality and not diminish their
| production.
The mistake was originally made
| when congress, following In the wake
| European nations, not producers of sill
| yer, uemonetiZed that metal, taking
| away its chief use. and thereby dmin-
| ishing its value. For this act, however,
| the Democratic party is in no wise re-
| SpOnSible. Neither was the Democratic
| party responsible for the Sherman
| bill, which was one of the supreme follieS
| of a Republican administration, folly
| directly in line with the party'S policy
| of protection. This act contained all
Tic SIIOl VI pIOlcCIlOll IleLlOuS, anu,
mOreouer, the industry it protected had
no foreign competition worth mention
| ing.
OF course, all the people in this great
| nation are not happy. There are in
| justices; there is distress: but in apply
| ing remedy. we should avoid the
| danger of making the conditions worse.
| The remedies sought should he neither
too slow, nor too severe and radical
| After all, in life, both animal and
human, all progress must necessarily
| come from individual effort. Methods,
both socialistic and paternal, always
fail OF their desired effect, for the very
reason that they are not in accord with
natures laws. They tend to destroy
Individual responsibility and effort, and
consequently to retard real progress.
The survival of the ntteSt" is the law
of nature. and will have TO be recog-
niZed in any economy.
In conclusion, therefore, my delber-
ate Judgments, looking at all things
impair TALLY, that the Democratic party
has be Ell, and will continue TO be, the
cOnSer vative party of the people, and
will necessarily control the affairs of
our government so long as it does so
wisely. If it falls, as all parties may
from time to time, to do its full duty to
the people. they will turn it out of
power until it shall again return to its
original principleS-lIbeTty and equality
among ali the people.
Ne. T. MCMAHON.
Hompe Gets his Commission.
r..