The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-10-26
THEIR SCARECROW.

The Republicans Of Ramsey county
are evidently bent on initiating the
policy of the Republicans of the nation
at time when their salvation
depended on distracting attention
from their own misdoings. It
was then that they invented an issue
which enabled them to make cam
paigns and occasionally to win a vic
tory by fooling the ignorant voter.
For at least twenty years "the bloody
shirt" was the most conspicuous en-
blem in every Republican campaign.
The party managers, unable to bear the
light of investigation thrown upon
their own scandalous conduct Of af-
fairs, appealed to popular passion.
Long years after the outrage on the
negro voter Of the South had become
an exploded myth, the votaries of
whisky rings and star route deals and
insist with unfailing regularity, when
ever an election came around, that
their conduct must not be inquired into,
and that they must be reelected to
office, by shaking abroad the folds Of
the bloody shirt. Nor did they desist
from this until they were driven to dis
regard their false and foolish issue by
storm of mingled Indignation and
ridicule which cost them heavily in
votes. Then their more intelligent
leaders began to see that the game was
up, and some Of the rascals were pun
ished
This example has been initiated by
the Republican party OF st. Paul and
II Ramsey county, until it, too, has
become ridiculous: undl it, too, by
trotting out at each appeal to the peo-
i,le half forgotten mJth. has reused
suspicious as to its future purposes and
created a certainty that its past acts
ought to be inquired into. The bloody
shirt sc arecrow Of th,. local R ,publican
machiue is summed UP in two words;
"the gang" Whenever there is a Re-
ublicaL found who itches for office
without the necessary qualifications,
mental TT moral. he will give you as
the reason why he ought to be elected
that 'the gang" do not want to see
him succeed. Whenever a Democrat
Of exceptionally fine recoi d and admi-
rable personality is nominated. he is
Eamed by the opposition as The candi-
date Of ''the gang" With the same
admirable logic with which the ante
tellum stakeholder answered every
argument against slavery will. the
qi.ery. do you want your daughter
to marry a nigger?" these bankrupt.
politicians scream out to all whom
they can get to listen to them: "Do
y5ou w mt to help the gang into power p"
Iris Is not because there is either
rhyme tr reason in +Te matter, nor
because 'the gang has any more ex-
istence than the JabberwocK. but be-
cause they think that they have made
otes al the pastel that way, because
i.obody on earth i0nowsiwho "the gang
IS or where it is located or what awful
things it proposes to do, { nd therefore
the terror of it may be made as real
TO the voter who swallows what he
ears IS the threat OF a baby-eating
egre to the rebellious child. It is also
tecause tie Republicans know that
they have abused Their lease Of office
in this county abominably. and If
attention. cannot be diverted in some
way firm this fact, they are lost
Therefore, every ward spellbinder has
lad orders to carry his rag baby in his
pocket, tc ts>ot 1t out before his audi
elces. to work its arms and legs furi-
.:.sly. to streak its Idly face with
led pain, and then to ask his terrified
hearers if they want to put the gang
s4ck in power. Therefore, both the To-
al org ms are grinding out daily their
'atry tales about "the gang" which are
Of an ineffable Stiffness that startles
even tn Sc most accustomed to the in
'antile fabrications that each recur-
ring election produces Regularly from
:hcse sources. shaoe ie
The only sremaFksydSiteh this idiotic
performance deserves 10 to cal the at