The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-07-31
THE BREAKING OF THE CRUST.

THE BREAKING OF THE CRUST.
In the state campaign for 1890, Hon.
Thomas Wilson, Democratic nominee
for governor, coming into headquarters
from speaking tour, would say,
speaking of the conditions of parties as
found them, 1.-The foundations are
breaking up The breaking UP pro-
cess has gone steadily on in the inter
vening six years, until no man Is rash
enough to put his reputation for politi-
cal sagacity at risk by predicting the
outcome of the pending contest. Cam
paign managers are whistling down the
wind, but In all their talk there is
an undeftone of uncertainty. This was
especially noticeable in the reports
made to Chairman Hanna at the meet
ing of his eomnitte in New York the
other day. In even the rock-fibbed Re-
publican states Of New England the
foundations are evidently breaking up.
1t is not alone in the changed atti-
tude of parties, as shown by their plat
forms, that this disturbance of their
elements is seen. The Republican party,
after thirty-four years of legislation,
whose effect they were amply warned
would displace the gold standard, de-
clare themselves in favor of it's main
tenance, while nominating a candidate
who participated In that legislation,
and has not yet screwed himself up to
the point where he can let the world
gold pass his lips, and, while up
braiding the present administration for
doing the only thing, In the presence
Of that legislation, it Is possible to do
to maintain that standard. They be-
gan their campaign by declaring pro-
lection to be the sole issue. and are
now admitting that it is not an issue
at ALL Their foundations are badly
shattered. On the other hand the
Democrats have knocked out the foun-
dations on which they built their only
victory since the war, while the Pop
ulists have made virtual abandonment
of their distinctive policies, and gone
to help the Democrats put in new foun-
dattons. Everywhere men find them
selves suddenly set adrift, the cables
holding them to their party cut and
themselves drifting into new associa-
tons. The foundations that were
breaking up in 1890 have all gone out
in 1885,
But it is IN other directions that the
breaking up Of the political crust is
visible. For the first time in the his
tory Of the country a national party
Of prominence has crossed the Missis
sippi river for a presidential candidate,
while, for the first time since the war,
another has braved sectfonalism by 60
ing south of the Ohio river for a vice
presidential nominee. How far away
from the war we are, how far I'm the
background the relentless march of the
years has forced the old soldier, the
nomination of national candidates who
were children when the rebellion broke
out makes very clear. Agafn,it lis deeply
significant that no national convention
held this year but has had it's boiling
members IN more or less numbers. This
shows that principles, not policies, fun
damentals, not details, are in conflict.
and are breaking up party foundations.
What does it all portend? The law
of nature that dissolution precedes ger
mfnation and new growth is as true
of politics and parties as of seeds. 1t
is too narrow view that regards only
the dissolvfng processes and concludes
that ruin and desolation are impending.
Action and reaction are equal, and the
violence needed to break political crust
only measures the violations of natural
rights fmbedded in that crust. When
radicalfsm begins reconstruction the
great conservative forces again become
operative to prevent excuses and con-
serve rights. So It has ever been, and
so it will be. until the development of
the race is arrested and men lapse into
universal contentments