St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-03-18
FAILURES PopUL1sM.

The cruel war at Denver is over. Gov.
Waite has made a virtue of necessity.
and consented that the question of
authority between him and the police
commissioners of the city be submitted
to the courts for determination. This
should have been done in the first place;
it was manifestly the only sensible
course to pursue.
The brief strife of which Colorado has
been the scene has accumulated the in
capacity of the Populistic party to gov
ern either city. state or nation. Its
members seem incapable of a true con-
ceptIOn of the functions of government
and the duty of those chosen to admin
lister affairs. Although they are social
lStlc in their sentiments when out of
office, they become despotic in their
practice whenever they are invested
with its dignitieS and powers. 1t is an
Illustration of the old saw relative to
putting a beggar on horseback.
Neither a Republican nor a Demo-
cratic governor in any state of the I'M
ION would have attempted to exercise
the authority that Gov. Waite has as.
testant against the despotism of Repub-
lcanism. Before he had fairly got his
seat warmed he proceeded to exercise
executive authority in the most high
handed manner. He distributed al! the
spoilS of office which the law allowed
him to his partisan friends and support
ers, and, not content with this, he en-
aeavOred TO create others. He de-
nounced the acts Of congress and pro-
ceeded to organize a rebellion against
Its authority. He proposed to issue
currency that should supersede that of
the general government. and called an
extra session of the legislature for the
purpose of promoting his scheme. The
legislature refused to do his bidding
Meantime he had inaugurated a move
ment for the secession of the silver
states from the Union and the organIza-
ton of a confederation composed of
those states and the republic of Mexico.
Both schemes fell fiat. Even the most
radical of his own partisans hesitated
to undertake such scheme
Enraged by the refusal of the legis-
latUre to do his bidding, Gov. Waite
resolved upon being avenged. The po-
lice commissioners of Denver refused to
be party to his plans and remove COM
petent officers for purely partisan rea-
sons. He undertook to remove them
from office. But in this he reckoned
without his host. They refused to va
cate their OFFICES or to recognize his
authority, and the courts issued an in
junction prohibiting the governor from
interfering with their functions. But
the governor refused to recognize the
authority of the courts in the premises,
and called out the state militia to en-
force his orders. The commissioners in
turn ordered the police on duty, and for
time there was prospect of civil war.
A few encounters took place, and one
man was killed: but finally. seeing the
hopelessness of his case and the fact
That public sentiment was against him,
he ordered a cessation of hoStilitieS,
and the matters in dispute will be set
tied i'll the courts, where it is proper for
all such matters to seek adjustment.
The governor, however, has prejudiced
his case greatly. By calling out the
militia to enforce his orders in defiance
of the I'M functions of the court he has
been guilty of contempt of court. and it
is difficult to see how he can purge him
self so as to regain his status at the bar.
Gov. Waite has proved an absurd
failure as an executive officer, but no
worse than Gov. Lewelling has been in
Kansas and Gov. Pennoyer in Oregon.
They are three of kind that have met
in executive Office but once, and will
never meet again. The experience of
the people with Populist government
has been aIl-satisfying. They have no
desire to have anything further to do
with party so prolific OF cranks.