The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-26
INTERNATIONAL BIWHEATISNI.


all are for the state
INTERNATIONAL BIWHEATISM.
1t was perfectly natural and logical
for&the little father of all Russia to
suggest an International wheat trust,
for it is his devout belief that he is
the paternal guardian of all his people,
bound to care for, direct and shelter
them, and, 1t must be admitted, he car
ries out his ideas Of government in
practice. He is So1omonic in his meth
DDS and does not spoil his children by
sparfng the rod, nor does he spoil them,
either, with too much sweets. If they
are good and obedient all right; but If
they are bad he packs them off into
the dark corner of his wide domains,
as stern parent sends refractory
youngster up stairs in the dark to bed
And, learning that the milk and water
paternaIism Of this country had broken
out again, it is not surprising that he
extended his suggestion about fnterna-
tienalizing wheat and flour to this gov
eminent.
But there is where he was prema-
ture- Possibly he thought that presi-
dents succeeded here after an election
as expedftiousIy as cars do when their
respected predecessor departs by the
dynamite route, and that McKinleyism
was already installed. There is no tell
ing what would have been the answer
had some sentimentalist of the pater-
nal school sat In Mr. Olney's chair
when the Russian minister submitted
his august masters proposition. But,
happily or not, as you like it, the de-
awhile in Washington and Mr. OIney,
not being farmer, and not having
agriculture under his especial charge,
very properly turned the communfca-
ton over to him who has come to be
called the 'enfant terrible" of the ad-
ministration, Secretary Morton, of the
department of agriculture. A bit of
tender paternalism never fell into more
unappreeiative hands. He had Just
finished his annual in which he had
scored congress for forcing his depart
ment to play mongrel paternalism to
the farm gardens of the country. He
had gone into sarcastic. details and
told how these seeds would plant lis
square miles Of garden, or strip one
rod wide and 36,817 miles long, taking
a passenger train, travelling sixty miles
an hour, 81 days, hours and IA min
utes to go the length of the patch. He
had computed how the seeds would
plant 1878 acres of lettuce, 1912 acres
of tomatoes, and 21,038 acres Of cab
bages, thus peking fun at congress In
/ that grave and decorous manner only
permissible IN public documents.
We can understand then, why neither
the Russian minister nor the depart
ment of state will give out the reply
the minister of agriculture made to the
| suggestion Of Russia's little father"
| and why the little fathers" represen-
| tative here considers the incident closed
! so far as this country is concerned 1t
| is surmised that Secretary Morton was
| not diplomatic, and that he, quoting
| from his annual, informed his majesty
! that Legislation can neither pillow nor
plant. The intelligent, practical and
successful farmer needs no aid from
| the government. The ignorant, I'm
practical and indolent farmer deserves
| meme. Lawmakers cannot erase natu-
raj laws nor restrict or efface the oper-
| alton of economic laws. 1t is a bene-
ficent arrangement of the order OF
! things and the conditions of human life
| that legislators are not permitted to
| repeal amend or revise the laws OF
| production and distribution" Having
said this to his master, the American
I farmer, he could not deem himself ir-
/ reverent in saying it to the master OF
I the Russian farmers. But 1t Is a pity
that the reply should be thus left to
surmise. 1t would be very entertain
I ing reading. a,s!si9a.
! THE PEOPLE AND THE CAPITOL.
| The GEob e has felt that the SIAN
| derous Misrepresentation Of the Min
| neapolis Journal concerning the nosi-