The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-05

in politics, and to see that their politi-
cal representatives do not play havoc,
as they do now, at every session, with
the cOuntrys prosperity. But the only
way to do that is the regular old-fash-
| Toned way, the way that we have dis
! dreadful disaster, the way of going to
the primaries and to political conVen-
lions and to the polls and seeing that
only proper persons are elected to city
councils, state legislatures and con-
gress. The promoters of this business
mems league, if their programme is
properly stated, appear to be engaged
merely in the old and foolish pastime
of trying to invent machine that will
! relieve them of the unpleasant neces-
sity Of engaging in this personal work.
1t has always failed and it always
must. Good results cannot be obtained
in politics, any more than in business
| or in anything else, by substituting or
! ganization for the performance Of indi-
Vidual duty. 1t is very we'll for the
business men Of the country to bring
| their influence to bear upon the tar
if question, but the tariff will take care
of itself if these same business men
should exercise their unquestioned pow
er to send to the congress that makes
and unmakes tariffs representatives
chosen by themselves and competent to
make their opinions and their inf1u-
ence felt among their associates.
The plan Of Mr.. Peck, the president
of the league, and Mr.. Ella, it's attorney,
has no attractions for us. They are
now at Washington full of the Old folly
of getting somebody else to do the peo-
pies work for them. They are talk
ing about department of commerce
and industry" with representation in
the cabinet and bureaus of statistics
and things, as helping the work along.
They want tariff commission and va
rious other commissions to look after
business interests, while they go home
and look after the counting rooms.
| We have tried all that to the end of
utter WEAKNESS and failure. Commits
sions and conferences and complex ma
chinery, revolving wheel upon wheel.
have never taken the place of the indi-
V1duaPs performance of the obligation
that rests upon him. Our republican
form of government is based upon uni
Versal suffrage. Universal suffrage re-
| quires as it's first condition that every
citizen shall put the citizens duty first
| of all. He must hold it higher than
his personal comfort, higher than his
private business. If need be, he must
sacrifice both Of these until he shall
have done his utmost to secure the
nomination and election to office Of the
best men.
When every man in the United States
snail DO this, all our problems will be
quite satisfactorily solved. The people
are to be trusted. The intelligence
and moral sense of a majority of the
voters Of the United States, if not in
fallible, are at least absolutely the best
attainable for the time being If thew
could be reflected in our legislative
bodies and in our laws, no man would
need to trouble himself about the fu-
ture. The trouble is that they are sell
! dom expressed or even ascertained. A
very small number Of men get up the
combinations, dictate nominations.
write the platform, and leave to the
great body of the people nothing but
what is as often as not a choice be-
tween two evils. In this, which has
now become the business Of practical
politics, they are helped, rather than
hlndered, by every addition to the ma
chinery of government. Every new de-
partment, every extra bureau and COM
mission and other official body, every
device that adds one more link to the
length Of the chain between the voter
and the law under which he lives, is an
injury to good government and an in
centive to bad
There is nothing wrong with our re-
publican system, against which so
many doubtful glances and so many
carping criticisms are now directed.
nothing in the world except that the
people of today are not faithful to it.
They want to shirk. They have got
away from the feeling that in a re-
public every man must serve the state
first in peace, as well as in war and
think that they can organize it as a
business man can his office while he
takes a trip to Europe, and have it
run smoothly and perfectly. The re-
form that is needed in this country is
not so much a reform Of methods. or
even Of politicians, as of citizen yot-
ers. Everything which tends to OBJ
scure that responsibility, that obliga-
ton which demands of every man, be-
cause he Is a citizen of the republic.
his constant attention and arduous
labor at all times when political ques-
tons are at the front, just as his coun-
try has a right to demand his life and
his property In time OF war. works