St. Paul daily globe., 1896-02-03
EVERY TUB ON IT'S OWN BOTTOM.

1t would conduce greatly to the ad-
vantage of necessary legislation, and
to the saving Of time now wasted in
all legislative bodies, If some rule could
be adopted forbidding members to dwell
upon the delinquencies Of their late
predecessors in office. It has come to
such a pass that remedial legislation
on almost any subject is slurred over
and either postponed or defeated, in
the majority of instances, because the
men upon whom rests the burden Of
considering it devote their entire at
tention and eloquence to the sins of
those who made 1t necessary We do
not mean that such criticism is not
often, or even generally, just. Each
political party in it's time of success
and responsibility has been guilty of
grave errors Of commission. There has
scarcely been a greater sin against
public interest and the rights Of the
laboring people Of this country than
the passage Of the Infamous tariff act
Of 1890, which taxed their slender
purses for the profit of monopolies,
trusts and combines On the other
hand, the action of the Fifty-third
congress, which refused to carry out
the pledges made in the Democratic
platform of 1892, and itself surrendered
in some measure to the corporate in
huences that have obtained so power
full grip upon the legislation of this
country, was rightly characterized as
party perfidy and party dishonor."
These indictments made against the
two parties were rightly framed, and
the G e, in spirit of impartiality,
aff1rms their justice. But after all is
now, when the country is confronted
by practical conditions involving pract-
1cal action, to linger over the sins COM
mitted in 1891, or in 1893? No descrip-
ton Of the shortcomings of either the
Fffty-second or the Fifty-third con-
gress can have the slightest effect in
remedying the business situation of the
present time Neither can it assist ma
action. 1t can be made, on the other
hand, and Is made constantly. a pre-
text for Sinking the duty Of the hour.
Each party attempts persistently to
hlde behind the petticoats of the other,
and to avoid taking brave stand on
questions that are pertinent, present
and Of living interest to the people.
Listen to any of the debates in con-
gress pick up any issue of the ordinary
party newspaper, and you will find It
full of "reminiscences of party short
comings. Does some one make a. valid
point against the German tariff act i,
is answered by showing the iniquities
OF the Mckinley bill. The argument is
valid enough, but it is not pertinent.
what the country most needs TODAY
is positive and definite policy for the
FUTURE regardless of what may have
been done in the past. While a polit.
1cal party is justly judged by it's rec.
ORD, this form Of party activity has
SO far swallowed up all others that
politicians are taking ADVANTAGE of il
to indulge their inclination to avoid
taking positive stand upon any ques.
ton before the people. There has not
been time in the history Of the coun
try for the last twenty years when
1t was as necessary as it is today that
the people, in choosing between the
parties, should be able to judge them
not by what they have done or left
undone, but by what they purpose to
do. The dead past should be left to
bury its dead. The delinquencies OF
both Republican and Democratic legis-
iatures, real as they are, may
now be dismissed in order to consider
what shall be the accepted doctrine
which each Of these parties can be
held bound to carry out. The oppo-
site course has led to q condition lit
tie short Of party disorganization.
There is no bond Of union in the pure
ly negative position. Anybody can get
up in congress, or on the stump, and
denounce the enemy; but when VIC
sorry has been won, no legislation can
be framed along those lines. If Won
start to repeal or amend an existing
law, you must do 1t In Conformity
With certain positive principles of your