St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-02-11

that may. in a measure, be their iustifi-
cation, but in the long run the result
will be injurious 10 the professions and
the public alike. n re
THE FOURTH'S STATESMAx.
If any one entertained any doubt as
to the statesmanlike qualities of the
gentleman whom the Republicans of
this district offered as their ideal Of
congressman to The suffrages Of the
voters OF the Fourth district, Mr.. Kiefer
is dispelling it by liberal distribution
of the speech he delivered to packed
house and crowded galleries on the Will
son bill; speech, we are glad to note.
from the parenthetical remarks of zap
plause), Qaughter) and applause on the
Republican side). which veracious
chronicier has iuterspersed it with,
highly appreciated by the very intelli-
gent audience.
We have been favored, indirectly,
with copy of this speech, and, as
patriotic citizen of the Fourth district,
have given to its peruSal that careful
consideration, that close attention and
that respectful examination which the
weighty subject treated, as we'll as the
distinguished abilities OF the orator. de-
mand. We are frank to admit that in
our somewhat extensive experience in
coming the speeches delivered in con-
gress We have not seen this one OF our
member surpassed, except, possibly, by
one which Hon. Oar S. Hall made on a
SIMILAR topic when he was the distin-
guished, and before he was the extin-
guished, representative from the Third
district. We are also free to admit that
If we had any doubt as to the capacity
of Mr.. Kiefer to fifty represent the Re-
publicans of this district his speech re-
moves it by converting it into GER
tainty. We hope our readers will note
the discrimination we make.
There is so much in this speech that
Is novel, so much that is startling. so
much that diSconcerts some things that
we supposed were firmIy established,
that we cannot hope to do it Justice
within the limits of one editorial. We
can only hope to point out few of its
salient features, those peaks in his
mountain range of thought which COM
mand the eye by their bold prominence
we may recur to it again, and possibly
again. as further examination may re-.
veal new beauties; but. whether we do
or not, we have this to console us
against any possible pricks of con-
science for duty to our readers neglect
ed, that the honorable gentleman will
gladly send bis speech to any one whose
curiosity our comments may excite
without satisfying. 81
WHAT distinguishes the statesman
from the mere politician is widek and
comprehensive grasp, which takes in both
tue philosophy of the matter in hand and
the minutest details of it, treadingiwith
equal assurance the may labyrinths of
statistics and the higher intricacies of
pure speculation. In one short SELF
tence Mr.. Kiefer establishes his position
among statesmen in the proposition he
submitted to MIR. Cochran with conf
dehce that even he would not cofltro-
vert it. 1t is: THAT great majority
of the American people are not willing
to make atOnement for the sins of com
mission and omission of all other ma
lions on the globe" 1t may be difficult
for the ordinary person to sense the re-
lation of this to the topic. but it is one
of the privileges of philosophic states
men to have thoughts beyond the COM
prehension of the common people.
Without venturing Oh an explanation Of
the proposition, we will frankly admit
that 1t is incontrovertible.
The speech thus not only reveals the
profound philosopher. but it reveals an
intellect which invades the domain of
mathematics and writes its laws over
again. Emerson says: beware when
u cd lets loose great thinker on this
planet. for then all things are at risk
Whether MIR. Kiefer be one of these or
not. he certainly puts at risk all the
rules of mathematics by which men for
generations have guided their caIcula-
tons. AS the philosophical observation
quoted above is doubtless the result of
the "colonels" speculations in met
aphysicS, so the mathematical PROPOSE
ton he makes is pro badly the result of
his speculations in discounts. In order
that the new mat hematIcs introduced
by the gifted mem Der from the Fourth
district may be cOmprehended. and
BUSINESS
calculations be apprehended, it should
be stated prefatorily that the Mckinley
tax on starch is 2 cents pound, and
on potatoes 25 cents bushel, which
the Wilson bill reduces to | cent a
pound on starch and 10 cents busheI
on potatoes. ''ThiS bill.'' said Col.
Kiefer-and we are surprised that the
remark ELECTED no applause on the
Republican si1e"-''this bill proposes
to take off an even hundred per cent on
starch and hundred and fifty per cent
on pota toes"
And there you have it, philosophy
and mathematics, and each spick span
new and original. A reduction from
2 to l cent pound is a reduction
of 100 per cent, according to this
latter Daboll, and reduction from
% to 10. cents is reduction of $50 per
cent. The cOloneFS new mathematics
may work all right when they get estab-
lished, but until he shall have educated
people in them those who had their edit
cation in the old-fastioned arithmetics
will, we fear, insist that reduction of
100 per cent wipes out the tax entirely,
while one of 150 per cent must not only
wipe the tax out, but pay bounty on
imports of so per cent.
We have been panied to notice that
neither the Pioneer Press nor Dispatch
has given to this remarkable, even
unique, speech OF their representative
the prominence it deserves. Even the
Washington correspondent of the Dis
patch, who is the coloneps private sec
rotary, has not spread the speech as its
merits call for. The GLOBE has to do
what they should gladly and proudly
do; still we trust that neither will.re
gard this as SCOOP" but will give
their readers their candid and unbiased
opinions of Mr.. Kiefer's philosophy and
arithmetic. We will endeavor hereafter