St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-10-01

speech that are worthwhile one of the
attention of our people, the other of
those whose representatives he ad-
dressed. I'VE are being rapidly So
bered," he said, "by the truth forced
upon us, that of all human governments.
free government is the most complex.
and. Judging from the worlds expert
ence, the most uncertain and short
lived" For this he has been severely
criticised by his opponents in the press
and on the stump. But Mr.. Wilson was
amply justified in his observation. He
had just come from a prolonged and but
partially successful struggle with bane-
ful and selfish men who had fastened
themselves on the government and
swerved its powers to their gain. He
had seen great party. electing its ex.
ecutive and the legislative branches of
the government. made unable to redeem
fully the pledges it had made the
people and which the people had COM
mlSSloned 1t to perform, because a
brood of monopolists," forming 1.-The
communism of pelf." could compel
enough Democratic senators to be trait
ors to their party and the people.
In actual conflict with them he had
found them. as he says, liable to defy
the law and use the wealth they drew
from sharing in the power of taxation
to increase their privileges. debauch
elections and corrupt legislation" How
can a republic stand when such is the
case? How can we say that it Is a re-
public, free country, where such con.
dltions exist? 1t is true, as he says,
that this exposition Of the power of the
trusts and monopolists. craftily gained
while the attention of the people was
diverted, has rapidly sobered the peo-
pie to sense of their danger and the
dangers to their institutions aud aroused
them to the overthrow of their enemies.
1t is the confidence in this feeling of
tine people that made Mr.. Wilson say
that, complex and difficult as is the ad
ministratiOn of the affairs of republic.
and short-lived as others have been.
freedom here will not perish. and that
''while other nations have been great in
war, commerce, science. ETC., we can be
great i'll all and great In the greatness
of permanent freedom"
Mr.. Wilson said nothing that his
auditors had not known and thought of
long ago when he warned them of the
contest for the trade of the world which
they would have TO meet when this
country shall have removed the barriers
it has raised between her own mana.
iacturers and the worlds markets with
her absurd tariff acts, and enabled them
to enter foreign markets on equal terms
with her greatest competitor. When
our capacity to produce now equal to
all our needs in six months of activity.
shall be fully occupied in making the
things we and the world want, England
will have to look to her laurels of trade
and commerce, or they will be trans
ferred to the brows of Uncle Sam. 1t
was this certainty of the future when
we reach free trade that impelled Mr..
Wilson to tell his audience that 81 fear
l cannot ask you to rejoice at its adop-
ton except as you may prefer right
principles to selfish advantage"
1t is twelve years ago now that joseph
Medill, then and now the editor-in-chief
of the Chicago Tribune. after his return
from trip to England. delivered an
address to the farmers of Illinois in
which he predicted the same result from
free trade that Mr.. Wilson did, and said
that in conversation with English man
ufacturers they told him that they
dreaded the day when American manu-
tacturers would be permitted by their
laws TO enter into competition with
them in the worlds markets. The
were we'll content with our policy, which
restricted our wares almost ex clusiv civ
to our home market, and left them not
only their own but the markets of the
rest of the producing world.