The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-07-07
RIVER AT q A. M,
A NEW ALIGNMENT.


To those who can forget for the mo-
ment the graver aspect Of the Chicago
convention and it's possibilities, 1t pre-
sents one exceedingly interesting fea-
ture in it's wholly new geographical
alignment For years and years, ever
since the war in fact, the doubtful
states" have dominated political con-
ventions. These have been, usually,
New York, New Jersey, Connecticut
ard Indiana. In most elections the
South has been conceded in it's solid
ity to the Democratic party. The
North, with the exception of the states
named, has been conceded to the Re-
publicans, until the magic of a great
man and great issue in 1892 brought
other states into line. But never has
there been convention, since the pres
ent parties fought out their battles,
where the seats of honor and the best
gifts were not at the command of the
doubtful states" which could assign
victory and defeat at any time that
all of them were carried by the same
candidates.
OF this doubtful list, New York was
easily first in its commanding impor-
tance. This followed from the quality
Of it's representation, as containing the
metropolis Of the country and it's old
est political organizations; from its
wealth and the support that 1t was
in
OF all, from its immense vote in the
electoral college New York has cast
the deciding vote in too many presi-
Dental elections to make parties indif
ferent to her claims Relying upon
this, she has dictated candidates and
platforms; and never has her voice
been disregarded or her opinions re-
ceived with Indifference A faction. in
deed, of her politicians might be re-
Jected, as Tammany has been at times
by Democrats and the Plat machine
by Republicans; but this was only be-
cause the parties believed them to be
FACTIONS, not representative of the peo.
pie. AT any time when New York ac-
tually spoke, and was recognized as
In deadly earnest, no convention has
been bold enough to surrender in ad
vance her electoral vote.
All this has been changed bv the
body which opens in Chicago today.
The leaders of that have resigned de-
liberately and consciously all hone of
carrying New York, any of the New
England states, or any other of the
states dubbed doubtful" save Indi-
ana. Their combination is a different
one; and, although it bears, to those
experienced in politics, the marks of
a confidence bordering on absurditv
the silver monometallists are not to
be shaken from their faith in it. They
have devised a new form of sectional
ism, by which the South and West are
to be arrayed in solid phalanx against
the East. Their dream is to carry all
the Southern states, all those of the
Rocky mountain region, and enough
of those in the Mississippi valley to
1ege. Visionary as this seems to us to
be. 1t is at least the plan of campaign
that has been adopted by the leaders
at Chicago. and upon it they will
shape their actions. 1t is an absolute
1y new alignment of states, this pro-
posed alliance that leaves New York
and the whole East to consort with a
supposedly helpless minority: and it
lends added interest to what is des-
tined to be, to him who does not see
in it the wreck of q great party and
the defeat of a nations hope, a pi-
quaint political development.
1t is this adjustment which has de-
prived the New York representatives
of sound money ideas of all their in
fluence in the convention, and which
doubtless brought to them the shock
of great surprise. They went to Chi
cage not expecting to conquer. but be-
lieving that the great Importance of
securing the electoral vote of their
state would force concessions and
oblIge men to listen to reason. To
their establishment they were told
from the first moment that the free
silver people abandoned New York at
the outset. 1t was of no interest to