The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-24

Postmaster General Wilson's address
at the banquet Of the New York cham
Der of commerce has drawn attention
and diverse comment. His analysis of
the elements composing the free silver
movement was accurate Aside from
the silver mining interests, there were
those motived like Senator Daniel, of
Virginia, who said he knew nothing of
what the effect would be, but it was
anti-Cleveland, and that was enough
for him. Others equally small, like
Buck" Hinrichsen, thought that the
tariff was played out" and that a
union of Democrats and Populists
might be made, under the free coinage
slogan, a winning movement. But,
leaving out all these factors, the
Chicago convention was almost wholly
representative of discomfort akin to
desperation, extending all over the
country. The Republican party had
been driven out because it was believed
to be the ally Of forces inimical to the
had shown itself incapable of subdu-
ing those forces. Any union under
any banner that would unite the op-
ponents of Republicanism was felt to
be justifiable by millions of men who
knew that the proposed coinage was
economic heresy and folly.
Mr.. Wilson recognized these condi-
tions, and, restrained, probably, by the
character of the audience he addressed
suggested that the causes lay in legis-
lation and were largely removable by
legislation. One of his critics says he
neglected an opportunity to render a
great service by emitting to indicate
what abuses and wrongs formed the
causes of this discomfort. He should
have specified the foundations for this
honest belief Of a large section of
voters that the government is SO ad-
ministered and the laws so framed as
to make unjust distribution of social
benefits, as to make more difficult the
upward path of life, and to narrow the
gateway Of opportunity for that vast
majority of youth whose sole depend
ence is individual merit and individual
effort"
If Mr.. Wilson did not lay down the
specifications supporting his charge,
other eminent Democrats have. Four
years ago William E. Russell, address
ing an audience in manufacturing
town filled with protectionists, said:
You are asking government by law to
add to your wealth and prosperity; to
tax the people to givecyou profit; to
burden them to make you rich. If
she can do this for you she can and
must do it for any class who can, by
influence or corruption, control her
legislation. Beware. You are sowing
the wind. You will reap the whirlwind. ="
In the Catchings letter President
Cleveland characterized the trusts and
combinations that had defeated the re-
demption Of the party's pledges as the
communism Of pelf." Ambassador
Bayard more explicitly stated the
specifications in his famous address in
England. I'm my own country" he
said, Il have witnessed the Unsuitable
growth Of that form of state socialism
styled protection which 1 believe has
done more to foster class legislation
and create inequality of fortune, to cor
rupt public life and Danish men of indie
pendent mind and character from the
public councils, to lower the tone of
national representation, blunt public
conscience, create false standards in
the popular mind, to familiarize it with
reliance upon state aid and guardian
ship in private affairs, divorce ethics
from politics and place politics upon
the low plane of mercenary scramble.
than any other single cause"
There is more general contentment
when men know that they are not han
dicapped and others favored by legisla-
ton, but that each one is left to what
ever he can achieve with the abilities
with which be is endowed. There is