St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-03-15
AN INSTANCE OF FUSION

AN ms STANCE OF FUSION.
Those Democrats in this state who are
still looking towards the reinforcement
of the Republicans from their rule of the
state and coddling the notion of union
with the PopuliSts as the expedient by
which the end may be attained, may. ii
they viii set their reflective organs at
work, IND In the present congress use
ful Illustration of the results of trying to
fuse irreconcilably hostile political prin-
| ciples.
| 1t did not need the emphatic declara-
| ton of the Chicago convention to an
| nounce the irrepresSible conflict which
has ever ragged and will ever exist be.
tween the two theories of government
which have been struggling for the
mastery ever since men framed their
| social fabrics. Between that policy. rep
resented by all these forms Of socialism
which find designation in the names of
RepublicaniSm, Populism. Nationalism,
whose spirit is that It is the province of
governments TO regulate all the affairs
OF men. however restricted may be the
special object of any one of these organ
lzations, and that other view which
maintains that men develop best when
left most alone, aud that the province of
governments is limited largely to police
duties, there is a difference as wide
apart as the poles.
ProtectloniSm is of the essence of pa
ternaliSm. 1t means simply that it is a
rlghtfui function of government to
compel all the people TO contribute of
their wealth to the support of some one
or more Industries selected by the gov
eminent. To this Democracy is rad
icaiiy and nncompromislngly opposed.
No man can be a protectionist and a
Democrat. No matter what he may call
himself; no matter what party label he
may wear, if lie be protectionist he is
paternalist, socialist. On the other
hand, no man can oppose protection
and be Republican. In either case
self-respect, due regard for his own
manhood should compel the man who
finds his views in opposition to those of
his party TO change his party relations
so that they will accord as nearly as
possible with the opinions he has
formed.
Applying these self-evident PROPOSE
tons to the actions of some men who, in
the confusion of party lines, have been
made representatives OF Democratic
opinion in congress. we find numbers of
them as staunch protectlonsts as any
Republican among them. We find SEN
ators and representatives clamoring for
more protection in the tax lists for the
industries local 10 their districts, utterly
regardless OF the anomaly of their posi-
ton. The result is the presentation
first in the house of barely eXcusable
tariff bill, defensibe only because it
freed from tax CERTAIN basic materials,
and next in the senate of bill utterly
indefensibie, in which the last shred of
principle is torn Off.
Here we have fusion in all its naked
nastiness. Compromises of detail in the
application Of principles are necessary
and unavoidable, but compromises of
principle are nothing but prostitution.
Here principle is compromised. Democ-
racy is made to fraternize with Social
ism; to adopt her schemes. father her
offspring. And what is accomplishe d?
What will be the Inevitable outcome if
persisted in? First in Importance the
growth of the party will be checked.
Thousands of Republicans. awakening
to the socialistic tendencies of their
party. perceiving that ali these vagaries
of governmental action find their legitl-
mate source in Republican protection,
have left that party and joined ours be-
lleying we were sincere in our promises.
Thousands of others were waiting, in
diStrust of our earneStneSs, to come to
us If we proved true to our pledges.
When it becomes merely difference of |
small degree between the protection ac-
corded by their party and ours, and our
line promises are cast to the winds as
soon as power is obtained to redeem |
them, these men will return in disgust |
or remain where they are, and hopes of |
party success become an ridescent
dream. Then there must be taken into |
account the disheartening effect on those |
Democrats who are such because they |
believe earnestly in the avowed prin- |
cipleS of the party, and who look on this |
bill as a complete abandonment. 1t is |
unavoidable that they lose heart and
courage and slacken or cease efforts.
Such, i'll smaller way. will be the re-
suit should Minnesota Democrats, for
the mere chance of temporary triumph
over their hereditary opponents, make
joint cause with an element disatfected
towards Republicanism solely because
that party refuses to go with them a !
logical step further in the path of pa
ternalIsm, but whose ideas OF govern
ment are as radically opposed to
the Democratic concept as are the Re-
publican. We can no more afford to
make sacrifice of our principles, which a
fusion with the Populists would involve,
than decent woman can afford to con-
sort with the fallen Of her sex. We
would lose our own self-respect and
forfeit that of all others, even of those
with whom alliance was made. We
cannot afford. as party, to be at any
time Or on any occasion anything but
Democrats, insiStent on our principles.
true to them and taking defeat, If 1t
comes, with composure. At least defeat
will be free from the reflection that it is
deserved.