The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-19
RIVER AT S A. NJ.
HIST "ABsoLurELY RIDICULOUS"

A.
Martin \. Johnson, who fiatters him.
self that he fully represents the Peo-
nIa If North Dakota in the lower house
of CONGRESS- blew into Minneapolis ana
1ft for brief spell in order that he
,,,iobt enliehten the good people OF
minnesota. through the medium of the
rbiouitous reporter and his paper, as
to what should be the national pollcy
IN various and sundry directions, much
+o the relief of the mental strain on
Johnson and the edification of the pub
lie. Broad, expansive views these
North Dakota statesmen have, spread
ing. as their prairtes Trif1es, such as
al A. certainties of msthema .cs and the
immutabtIity Of economic law, are
beneath their notice, too insignificant
to be regarded in the broad scope COW
cred bv their views. We have had oc-
casion to note and comment on this
catboIicitv of mind before notably
when one Of the senators declared that
free wool had reduced the fiocks of his
state three hundred per cent. We are
indebted to Mr.. Johnson for an oppor-
tunity to make note of and comment
upon another instance,
The visit of Sir Wilfred Laurier to
Washington called to the attention OF
This North Dakota statesman the mat
Ter of reciprocity On this, it need not
he said he has views We would not
care to engage to put forward any
matter of national, international or I'LL
+ramontane interest as being one on
which Mr. Johnson has no views.
We're the theory of sun spots suggest
ed we doubt not he would have decided
oninions on them and the necessity of
congress doing something to prevent
them. But to get at Johnson on reel
procity. He made mighty short work
of that. He smashed it in two SEN
fences. He pulverized it with indig-
nant scorn. He interposed Johnson
between its mere suggestion and it's
POSSIBLE realization and defies it to
come on. Il stand unalterably opposed
TO reciprocity. with Canada Also he
declared to the reporter and the world
with all the force Of a Dakota biz
gard ct would mean the trade of
100000 600 people for that of 100000.
Such a proposition sounds ridiculous,
doesn't it? Tt is absolutely ridiculous. :"
And with that Johnson dismissed the
subject with the curtness with which
he would brush off his nose one of his
states voracious mosquitoes.
We agree with him, that is with his
words. and we imagine that there are
no intelligent persons who will not
agree with us in agreeing thus with
him. In fact, we can recall nothing
quite so ridiculous. 1t surpasses Nc
Kfnley's proposition that the foreign
or paws the tax 1t lays HarrisOn's
axiom. that cheap coat means cheap
man under it, in the shadows. 1t
makes John Sherman's statement that
gold and silver are Gods money pale
before it, Even the Dingley act, with
its purpose to get and prevent getting
revenue. becomes quite a reasonable
scheme when put along side Of John
sons kind of reciprocity. Brother
Jasper, with his insstence that "the
sun do move,' cuts a respectable fig
ure when ranged up with Johnson and
his absolutely ridiculous" reciprocity.
Very evidently Mr.. Johnson's idea is
that, if reciprocal trade were establish
ed between Canada and the United
States. Canada would buy only of us
and we of Canada. He thinks it would
be a swap of "the trade of 100000 for
that of 100000 His words carry
this idea and no other. Read them up
and down, forward and backward, and
no other sense can be found In them
No wonder he is "unalterabry opposed"
to that We are too. Everybody is
this side of the line. We confess we
do not see clearly how it could be man
aged even if congress decreed it, but