The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-07-03
WOOL-GATHERING.


Wnlch no one can explain that the
smaller political party becomes, and
the more remote the possibility that IT
Will have any influence III the decision
OF public affairs, the more active
grows the tendency to disruption. 1t
USED to be the case that when party
grew unWiefdy it initiated Jeshurun.
When 1t waxed fat it kicked. Then it
was apt to divide into factions and let
the opposition slip into power through
crevices caused by inertia and impos-
sibility of agreement that come from
numbers. Nowadays, however, 1t is
the minority that makes itself a still
more conspicuous sninority by dividing
and subdividing upon some principle,
usually one altogether foreign to it's
organization and history.
The Peoples party has Illustrated
this at all stages Of it's growth. There
has never been any symptom of har-
mony in it's ranks, and scarcely ever
any local unity in action. The Democ-
racy inclines to follow the same ex-
ample. When it's adherents numbered
a great majority of the people of the
United States, as in 1892 1t was com
pact and harmonious. Since the cleo
lions OF 1894 and 1895 showed an alarm
Ing falling off in it's membership. the
leaders have thought it the best pos
Side time to abuse and denounce one
another, and the administration in par
ticular, and to set to the front an issue
that is certain to divide the party
itself. The Prohibitionists are the lat
est to exenlplify the rule. 1t is very
funny indeed to- see this phantom of
a political party, which will never
carry any state in a national election.
and never have influence enough at
large TIC be worth counting fighting
with all the energy that one could ex-
pect of great organization over some
detail of its platform.
Especially is this true in this state.
The platform Of the Prohibition state
convention ought to satisfy everybody.
for 1t declares for almost everything
together too old-fashiened for it, that
the state should guarantee the equal
liberty of all and then devote itself to
minding its own business These gen
tiemen want not only prohibition of
the liquor traffic, but female suffrage,
government control of everything, and
money Of all sorts and Kinds and quail
ties, only so that there will be plenty
Of 1t to go around Against this very
liberal proposition the silver branch of
the Prohibition party proposes to re-
volt. A new party us to, be formed, and
Mr.. St. Johr is now on the ground con-
sidering how he shall organize another
little circle that will support free sill
yer first and prohibition afterward.
All these little eddies in the great
stream Of politics show how large a
number of men there is, after all,
whose views are contracted within the
narrowest possible circle, and whose
conception Of the value of their votes
some trifiing and fanciful ISM The
| general tendency. not only Of Prohibi-
tionists, but of other and more i'm
posing bodies to fly into ever smaller
and smaller fragments. illustrates the
centrifugal force of that growing feel
ing of universal hatred and distrust
which we have deprecated so earnestly
and which is destined, If not counter
acted, to send the political and social
mass whirling through space reduced
to it's separate and inconsiderable par
ticles.