St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-01-22
NOT 4 FINaI,JTV

LII the GLOBE has notbeen enthusl-
| astlc In its advocacy of the Wilson bill,
tue reason is that il fails so far short of
what we had reason to expect, so far
behind what the demand of the national
convention OF the party meant, and, if
popular elections have any significance,
so far III the rear of the wishes OF the
people as expressed in tine elections of
1890 and 1892.
Ii we have criticised the bill it was
with no wish to impede its progress or
to add our mite TO the embarrasSments
OF the administrator whose measure it
IS, but with the purpose of filing a
caveat to give notice that the bill shall
not be taken by any one as finality;
that 1T is but step, and that a short
one, i'll the direction in which the party
is moving, and that other and longer
strides will follow rapidly.
we fear the demanding effect of the
measure when it becomes a law. We
will have from the protectionists. greed
lily munching their diminished loaf,
angry protests against further decreases
in their dole of charity. We will have
the manufacturers protesting against
further changes. We will have the
dealers in the still protected goods ask
ing that no disturbance of values be
made. We will have the lazy and the
Indifferent in our own party saying
peace, be still. We fear the disposition
will be to wait and see how it works.
This effect which we cpprehend was
we'll illustrated in the course pursued
by our contemporary of the other faith,
the Pioneer Press, which so staunchly
opposed McKlnleyism. and so accurately
predicted the effects OIL the party's well
fare Of the passage of the measure
framed by the Chinese economist of
Ohio. When it was enacted that paper
cried: ut is accomplished; let it.stand.t
Inc business interests of the country
have adjusted themselves to it, and they
must not be continually obliged to re-
adjust themselves to new rates of TAX
atfon." II E-TRG
The Wilson bill will become law,
ana because half loaf is better
| than none I'VE wish it God speed
and a. happy deliyerauce; but we
wish to serve notice in behalf OF
| the voters who accepted the pledge of
our party in 1892 that progress will not
stop with its enactment. Let no manu-
facturer build on its stability. Let no
merchant throw his line far int6ihe
future OH the strength Of a faitfi that
the taxation of imports will not he still
| further reduced. We would warn the
men to whom is given the management
Of the affairs of the Democratic
party that the current of opln-
ion in "a the country is setting as
strongly towards freedom of trade
as, forty years ago,it was setting toward
the freedom of men. AS then all conn
promises were but feeble barriers to-
that current, so will the compromises of
today be swept away before the current
of popular thought moving majestically,
and, If slowly, yet With irresistible
strength. carrying humanity Into yet
| wider conditions of freedom. Ii the
| Democratic party prove incapable of
giving to the movement its direction
! and expression of purpose, nothing is
more certain than that it will be set
aside as an instrument inadequate to
| work the will of the public thought and
be replaced by one that will answer.
But when that time comes the party
! will have ceased to be Democratic, and
| newer, better and truer Democracy
will take Its place, because freedom for
the individual and equality of oppor-
| tunity is the soul and spirit of Delnoc-
| racy. If these opinions cause us to be
set down by those who complacently
term themselves conservative, as VS.
| ionary and doctrinaire we are content,
| because no chapter in history which
tells of the movements which have
given men more freedom and lifted
humanity yet higher and farther on
its upward path but tells how the
accomplishment was achieved by just
such Missionaries ami doctrinaires.