St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-02-06
AWAY OFF ON FACTS

We give place this moring to a COM
mun1cation from ]. L. Macdonald, quite
promiscuously identified with past pol
itical movements in this state. It de-
serves admission not only on account
OF its plea for fair play, but because
1t contains within itself one of the most
elegant and convincing proofs that we
have ever seen Of the apparently hope
less inability of the gentlemen on that
side to get their facts right The diff
fculty of conducting an argument with
them is summed up principally in this
IL man states as economic or polit-,
ical fact what is obviously not the fact
and appears SO upon the records. the
contention is ended. There is no place
In such difference of opinion for logic
to find beginning to work
Now, passing for the moment Mr.
Macdonald's views on finance, consider
the hopeless muddle in which he in
wolves himself in the paragraph accus-
ing the G. / b e Of bias in its comments
upon recent attack upon President
Cleveland. One has almost to guess
at the writer's meaning, because he
does not know, apparc...ly, who are
today the United States senators from
South Carolina, or who deliv-
cred the speech he refers to. He
says that the G o b made some COM
ments upon the speech of Senator But
Ter, of South Carolina" There is no
such person. There was once a Sena-
tor Butler from South Carolina. but
he has given place to the products Of
the Unhappy upheaval Of recent politics
In that state. Mr. Macdonald saws:
Would it not have been more fair TO
publish Senator Buffers speech before
you editorially referred to him az the
ove1seer in the senator" The article
in the G e on the "overseer in the
senate" referred to Senator 'TilIman.
who delivered, not a rational arraign-
ment, but a volley of billingsgate and
personal abuse against President Cleve-
land.
NOW, this is an excellent illustration
of the way in which men like Mr. Mac
donald approach public questions They
have preconceived theory, and are
seemingly unwilling to take the trouble
to learn the simplest facts in the case.
Mr.. Macdonald does not know that
there is no Senator Butler from South
Carolina. He does not know that the
man who attacked the president was
Senator 10 fo,,
the G b for an article which he
cannot possibly have read or he would
have discovered his mistake. And his
whole letter to the Clio b e is homo
geneous. That part of it which relates
to the financial question is exactly as
incapable of discussion as that which
relates to the recent episode in the
senate. How can we reason with a man
about theories when he states as the
facts on which those theories rest
things which are not one of them true?
He says that the Democratic defeats
in certain Eastern and Southern states
last fall were due to Clevelands f1ran-
cial policy. We assert with equal en-
phasis that those defeats were due
partly to cowardice in the party's ac-
ton on the tariff and partly to the free
silver tendencies of certain Democrats.
He says that there are not So per capita
in circulation; which is obviously and
foolishly false. Going on straight
down his letter, we have not found a
single statement of facts that will bear
examination, except as to the ruinous
effects Of continuous bond issues. IT
is not true that any action which this
government might take could raise the
price Of about $4,000. oOO, 900 Of silver now
in existence. 1t is not true that prices
depend upon the amount of money vol
ume. 1t Is not true that the amount of
currency in a country, provided it be
worth its full face, has any particular
influence upon prices. 1t is not true
that the price Of wheat has been de-
pressed or could be elevated by any
thing that we could do with reference
to silver
1t is true that labor. both. on the farm