St. Paul daily globe., 1896-03-08

Republican party, it follows that the
only road to reform lies in voting the
straight Republican ticket as 1t shall
come from the hands of the pure-mind-
ed patriots who have engineered Re-
publican deals in -the past. This is the
silly sham and cant by which those
who wear the Republican collar at
tempt to cover the contradiction be-
formance In less public places they
do not hesitate to uncioIne their real
motives They say that the Republican
machine is in first-rate working order;
that the managers have been repairing
and patching it up and giving it new
coat of paint for weeks; that they are
full of hope that they may be able to
run it successfully year; and that,
this being the case, it would be in
conceivable folly to throw away the
chance of electing a Republican to
office. If they were sure the Demo-
Gratis would succeed, they would all be
non-partisan Republicans, with holy
hands crossed on immaculate bosoms,
begging for independent political action
and"a business administration by busi-
ness men" But If there is the ghost
of a show to capture the swag, they
do not want to see any reform foolish
ness carried into effect until the Re-
publican boys have been taken care Of.
This is precisely what every honest
man might expect Of the party whose
record in this city, whenever intrusted
with power, has been a record of fail
ure; whose loftiest flight of patriotism
now is to provide a place for a party
worker by throwing a scrub woman
out of employment, and which can ex-
hibit as goodly an array Of incom-
petents and derelicts among its candi-
dates for place as any party need care
to carry to it's shame.
The G l o b e does not know in the
least what If anything, will come Of
the movement for good local govern
ment in st. Paul and for non
support only the men whom it
believes fit for office. 1t finds
that political virtue and private pro-
bity are as amply represented in the
Democratic party in this city as in the
opposition. 1t is ready to make the
campaign, If that is the decision Of
the people, on the old plane Of party
allegiance, if this community is not
ready for any higher test. Nor does
any Democrat fear the issue. Neither
the record of the Republican party, nor
the men it has put forward, nor those
who are now in actual control of it's
affairs. can inspire an enemy with fear
or an undecided voter with confidence.
If the Republican ranks close up, under
the crack of the whip, they will find
opposite to them an equally compact
Democracy, as confident of their cause
If less voluble in prating Of their vir-
tues. But now the situation has been
made exceedingly clear by the scurry
Of the Republicans organs to retreat
when it cost nothing to laud reform"
Let the issue be drawn, old or new, we
are prepared for the fray The occa-
sion shall not pass, however, without
a word to the people to expose the
sickening hypocrisy of the men who
preach doctrine Of municipal citizen
ship for twenty-three months only to
tear it to tatters and eat their own
words on the twenty-fourth, in the poor
hope that they may be able to pick up
a few offices for their party following.
We hope to see good men in office in
st. Paul and will do our share to put
them there. The declarations and the
policy of the Republicans leave little
to expect from that direction. In the
local even more than in the national
field, great is humbug and the Repub-
lican party is it's prophet.