St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-03-17
POPULISM AND IT'S DEVEL.
OPMENT.

The desire of Gov. Waite, of Colo
RADIO, to wade in blood up to his horses
bride may yet in measure be graft
fed. He has succeeded in raising a
storm about his official ears-and they
are exceedingly long ears. too-that
threatens to involve the community in
civil war. And the trouble is all about
a few offices OF more or less Importance
financially and politically.
The governor removed the police COM
misSiOners of Denver, who were not to
his liking. and proceeded to fill their
places with his OWL favoriteS. But the
old commissioners refused to yacate, and
were sustained by the police force of
the city. The governor called out the
militia to enforce his orders, but the
police presented a determined front.
Martial law was declared and the two
armies are now confronting each other
with possibility of conflict breaking
out at any moment. Both sides are
breathing threateuingS and slaughter,
but as yet no blood has flowed, even in
rivulets. The sanguinary deluge, how
ever, may be precipltated upon the
community by single untoward event
or rash act. In the meantime great APP
prehension exists as to the outcome.
The little brief authority which the
PopuliStS have been permittedlto eXer-
else in several of the states of the w est
has in every instance been accompanied
by gross violations of law on the part of
the officials, and general discomfort. if
Events of recent occurrence in Kansas
are yet fresh in the public mind. Since
the day of his inauguration Gov. Lew
elling has been at outs with the rest OF
the state officials, and quarrel has fol-
lowed quarrel and scandal has succeed
ed scandal in endless procession. There
has not been a moments peace for the
people, and from being at first amused
the public at large has become disgust
ed, and the very mention of the name OF
the state has been Stunned. Every
form of crankiSm has tiouriShed under
PopulistIc protection and patronage.
The fiat money craze has swept over the
states; the people have been called
upon to fall down and worship silver
calf: woman suffrage has been dishon-
ored by the excuses OF its own dlScl-
pies; sumptuary legislation has had its
most odious eXemplificatiOn, and even
the tramp has been set up as being
worthy of our admiration and imlta-
ton. 1t is no wonder that, with these
conditions existing, capital has become
alarmed and has Withdrawn from the
states affected with this lnnacy. and
that the people--the innocent as well as
the guilty-are suffering far more hard
ships than are the residents in sections
less favored by nature.
The public at large cares little as to
the merits of the controversy now pend
ing in Colorado. Legal opinions differ
as to the right of Gov. Waite's course,
yet few approve of its proprlety. There
is a right and a wrong way of doing all
things. If Gov. Waite wanted to get rid
of the Denver police commissioners, he
should have pursued the course pre-
scribed by law, and he would probably
nave succeeded without creating dis
turbance. lie chose to exercise his
power arbitrarily, and by so doing
aroused animosities that otherwise
would have remained dormant. What
the end of the dispute may be no one
knows and few will care. 1t is mat
ter of purely local and personal con-
Germ.
Populsm is the manifestation in
America of the same spirit of unrest
that is shown in Europe by the demon
STATIONS of anarchy. The two theories,
i'll fact, have many things in common.
Anarchy seeks to destroy ali govern
ment; Populism accomplishes the de-
struction of government by substltu-
ting for it intangible theories Impossible
OF realization. 1t seeks to give free
license to all the vagaries of hare
Drained economists and impracticables.
1t is full of contradictions. 1t asks the
privilege of coniscating the property OF
others, but denies the privilege of
others to apply the same rule as to its
own possessions. 1t is creed of con-
tradictions, party of absurdities. But,
happily. it is not party that has come
to stay. 1t has had plenty of rope, and
is proceeding to hang itself in the most
effectual manner.