The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-11
BETTER LET THAT ALONE.

Mr.. A. c. Bentley, secretary of the
state committee Of the Democratic or
ganization of Illinois (by the way, what
has become of Theodore Nelson, for
years its secretary, and so given in the
latest political directoryO is IN our
midst" giving counsel to the Democ-
racy of this state. He Is here to tell
them what the national platform CT
1900 will contain ard what will be omit
ted from it, and, incidentally, to give
the state committee pointers on organt-
cation. We cannot speak for any one
but ourselves nor of the reception he
will get from the representatives of the
party whom he will meet but, speak
ing for ourselves, we are clear that the
position taken by Illinois Democrats
last year and their work in shaping
the national convention was not such
as to warrant Democrats of any school
in looking to them now or hereafter for
guidance. One Gadarene experiment
should be satisfying. Neither Buck
Hinrichsen nor John P. Altgeld has
indicated his claim to wise leader
ship, and they led Illinois Democrats
by the nose in 90.
1t will crafty Democrats of all
shades to have the assurance of Mr..
Bentley that "the Democratic platform
of 1907 will contain modified decla-
rations of "the Objectionable clauses
about government by injunction and
the like" because it gives evidence that
the light that shone on Boies and Cor
man has dimly penetrated the sense of
Illinois leaders and indicates returning
sanity. But there is one plank that
this missionary assures us with posi-
tiveness will be in that platform that it
will be quite as wise to modify as
those about injunctional government
and invasion of state rights, unless, in
deed, another descent down a steep
place. is desired. 1--WE Will declare for
the examination system" he says, ''but
will demand limited tenure of office"
This will be the civil service plank,
land it will be winner" he says, be-
cause the American people don't be-
lieve in life tenure in public office, and
the party that declares for a limited
and fixed term-say four years-is go
ing to sweep the country" This indi-
Gates the true Hinrichsenian idea of
party. Bucks sole idea is to get some
catch-cry that will be popular He told
Forman early in 80 that he and Alt
geld were going in for free silver be-
cause the tariff was played out and
that something must be taken up that
would sweep the country" 1t did not,
and financial and industrial conditions
are daily restricting the area that can
be again swept" and so some new
dodge must be devised that will
sweep the whole country" clean
1t is possible that the convention in
1900 will put such a plank in, charging
On that of 1896, which contained the
same idea; and if it does, nothing is sur
er than that the defeat in 1900 will be
more crushing than that of 49, If it
would have the effect of relieving the
Democracy Of the country from the
domination of Illinois ideas of party,
as the election of '92 relieved them
from subserviency to New York. it
might be worth while to go through an
ether valley of humiliation to get it;
but better way will be to set Hin
richsenism aside before the descent is
entered upon. Mr.. Bentley utterly mis-
takes popular sentiment if he thinks
that the reform of the civil service can
be made to go backward. Were it the
unpopular thing he thinks it is it would
never have reached it's present position.
President Mckinley would not have
strengthened it as he has in his order
against removals. 1t was the feeling
that President Cleveland in his first
term had not lived up to the cause
that gave Harrison enough votes of
earnest men to elect him, and against
the proposed plank the Republican can
didate, especially if he be Mr. McKin-
ley. will get all those and many thou
sand more Since the politicians In
congress strangled the first effort at re-.
form in the early seventies it has met
with no such fierce, sustained, organ
lied assault as it has since March of
this year and until the presidents Or
der Of this month. If it has been able
not only to resist that assault, but to
make decided advance in the face of
it, neither "the gates of hell'' nor the
party that is foolhardy enough to assail
it in 1900 will prevail against =.
1T OFTEN HAPPENS.
To the Editor of the Globe.
Every copy of the New York Sun bears on
its title page the legend: eff you see it in