The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-03
THE SAME OLD ROCK.


THE SAME OLD ROCK.
Upon one point Mr.. Mckinley and his
friends should not deceive themselves
with false hopes. They need not i'm
agine that his administration will es-
cape the rock that has done most dam
age TO that of Mr.. Cleveland. This is
the arrogant attempt of a portion Of
the United States senate, with the
sympathy Of nearly the whole Of it,
to usurp executive functions and either
rule or ruin in the White house. The
same knives that have been thrust into
Mr.. Cleveland with such vigor of mus
Gle and venom Of mind are sharpened
and in wait for Mr.. Mckinley. 1t is not
a question Of tariff policy or Cuban
policy or any other policy, but a ques
ton whether the president of the
United States proposes to be president,
or to be the clerk of the United States
senate.
All the opposition to Mr.. CIeve-
land that amounts to anything
originated with Democratic senator's.
During the earlier portion of his public
life, 1t was German and Hill, of whom
he made enemies by denying their de-
mand for an absolute surrender to the
spoils system. At the close of his ad-
ministration these men have become.
Of necessity, through their own mis-
fortunes, his allies and defenders, while
he has been assaulted and vilifed bx-
another cOterie, including such men as
Morgan and Vest and Tillman. The
motive behind this attack is perfectly
plain. These men do not spend their
entire public career IN abusing Mr..
Cleveland because he is a sound money
Democrat, any more than German and
Hill fought him because he was a civil
service reform Democrat. They are
lighting for the rule Of the senate az
opposed to the rule of the executive
Now it is one thing and now another
that serves as a preteXt, but the real
reason is never far below the surface.
They are in error who regard orr
senate simply with contempt, because
1t has fallen to such ignoble methods
and usages. 1t is not only O. con
temptible body; it is a dangerous one
1t is following the lead in history IF
all such bodies constituted Of members
elected for long terms. remote from
popular choice and hedged about nv
privilege. Every such body has ended
in an attempt to constitute itself an
ollgarchy. 1t has made It's power and
It's ability work to the subiugation Of
other departments of the government
and has been willing to destroy liberty
and abolish the rights Of the neonle
If thereby it could become undisputed
master. That is the aim Of a, majority
of the United States senate. conscious
ly or unconsciously, today. The fig
ment of senatorial courtesy" which
has covered many irregular and not a
few disgraceful performances, embodies
the underlying sentiment that "the
senate can do no wrong" 1t is the
first putting on Of the garb of royalty.
1t means that, whatever their personal
differences, the senator's are a unit as
against all the rest Of the world.
For the last fifty years there have
been occasional clashes between the
senate and the executive. We are wit
Messing now the progress of a con-
slant and unremitting struggle be
tween them. Their quarrel is not per-
sonal, but official. It will not end
therefore, with President Cleveland's
term Of office, nor Icy down its arms
with the temporary closing of Nor
cams mouth. Mr.. Mckinley will find
as soon as he has taken the oath OF
office, himself confronted with an on
position as full Of purpose and as recl-
less Of its consequences, to him or f.
his party, as has Mr.. Cleveland. The
lines are already drawn. The senators
who call themselves free silver Re
publicans" have banded together in q
cabal for offensive and defensive pur.
pose. They mean to do for the new
administration what the cabal headed
by Morgan and Jones and Vest have
been doing for the old; and they, too
will have plenty Of sympathy, not be-
cause they are right, but because they
are senator's. 1t has happened during
the last few years, again and again
that the whole body Of Republicans
and large number Of Democrats have
insisted upon the right OF senators
calling themselves Democrats to sci