St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-02-24
SOUND SENSE.

Tillman announces, without ifs or butts, that
South Cardinals delegation will walk out of
the Chicago convention unless the currency
plank is Tillman plank.
South Cardinals delegates can walk out
only in one direction-to the Populist camp.
Now let New York Democrats declare that
their delegates will walk out unless the plat
form declares for gold standard. Their
line of march will be to the Republican party,
which established the gold standard.
Then let each separate element of Demo-
Gratis in every state make similar declara-
ton in relation to state conventions.
Democratic candidates can by these frater-
nal advance notices be spared the trouble of
leaving their private business this year.
The above extract from the st. Louis
Republic Is a cutting exposition of the
only possible results of the existing
absence of discipline and refusal of
minorities' everywhere to accept the de-
cision of majorities. It shows what is
sure to happen, what the G o b has
been declaring for the last eight months
must inevitably happen, if the men in
the Democratic party who hold differ
ing views about the silver question
shall persist in making that the shib-
boleth of party loyalty. 1t is all right
for a man who believes in free coinage
to endeavor to convince his party as
socfates, and to secure convention in
dorsement of his theory. 1t is all right
for a man who believes in the gold
standard TIC do the same The question
has become. a p 'blic one, and it is
legitimate business with which a party
convention may deal; but to set this up
as the one and only test of Democracy,
and to declare in advance that nc ad-
verse decision will be tolerated.; to an
nounce weeks or months before a con-
vention is held that you will bolt and
walk out of it, to some retreat or other,
If it does not do what you wish it to,
is to renounce all party loyalty, and to
make party government and party
existence impossible. There is no
practical common sense no honesty, no
manliness in it.
There is one fundamental principle
underlying the republican form Of
government which is more necessary
and inviolable than all Others This is
the principle of majority rule. Set that
aside and you have chaos, you have
anarchy. Government thenceforth be-
comes impossible. Society is dissolved
into its elements. There is no respect
for, or obedience to- any law. There is
no method of choosing rulers or govern
ing communities. When the minority
says that it will have it's way or rebel.
then there is either a total dissolution
of parties o. the creation of a multi
tude, Of guerrilla bands, each aiming at
nothing but the extinction Of the others.
The intolerant disposition exhibited
in the above statement by Gilman is the
fatal disease which has attacked the
Democratic party, and whose ravages
must be stayed if that party is to keep
its place and fulfill it's mission in the
government of this country. 1t is time
for. the return of wholesome discipline.
The same principle which makes the
good citizen obey the law, while 1t re-
mains a law, even although it may be
repugnant to his own ideas and act as
a restraint upon his Individual freedom,
requires the submission Of a party
minority to a party majority. If the
citizen does otherwise, he becomes a
law-breaker IF all citizens should take
that attitude, then, since there are diff
ferences of opinion among them, and
since not all. of them can have laws
to suit them at any one time, the main
tenance of law itself would ends We
would enter upon government by
anarchy. 5,> ze5s,a
What Is true in the state is true
in the party. If every little knot of
mem who are disappointed of their aims
are therefore to seeedei and set up in
business for themselves. there is an
end Of, patty government and an end
Of all government which Acknowledges
the right of the majority to rule. Ger
tainiy'aa rnajoritySscannota besexpeeted
to waive It's opinions -ers differences any
more readily or PEACEFULLY than a
minority. II both refuse. to oO &C, If each
stands stubbornly upon its, Owl, plat
form and says, 'sthis, or nothing, Twill
have my way or I WIFI figf1t, - then
every party and convention becomes