The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-21
A NEW ExERCIsE orr POWER,

The participation by the newly elect
ed president and his advisors in the
election of senators in several of the
states is something new in American
politics. We doubt if the precedent is
one that will find favor with the pub
lie, and are mistaken in our estimate
of the temper of parties and people if
this asserted dictation does not raise
up a host of enemies within the party
for Mr.. Mckinley and his co-workers. 1t
is generally understood that the election
of Hansbrough in North Dakota was
finally determined upon when the Nc
Kinley element threw their influence in
his favor He will be distinctly one Of
the administration senators, and the
position ought to be as little pleas
ing to any man as it is to the
people whom he is supposed to
represent. In several other states it
is understood that Mr.. Hanna's agents
have been doing some heavy election
eering work for the senatorial candi-
dates who would be most acceptable to
Mr.. Mckinley.
But in Illinois the administration
showed its hand without fear and with
out reservation. When Mr.. Madden was
in the lead it was not sufficient that
the press of the city should expose his
unf1tness and rest their case upon
that, but the Times Herald, whose ed
itOr, Mr.. Kohlsaat, is the journalistic
mouthpiece Of Mr.. Mckinley, placed on
his editorial page, in heavy, bold-faced
type, the royal decree that mo friend
of Mr.. Mckinley could cast a vote for
Martin B. Madden as senator" The
manner of doing this was enough to
disclose its official character. The
Times-Herald has introduced the Court
Gazette into American journalism, and
whatever it has tC say about coming
political events is tc be accepted as Of
fetal and inspired When Mr.. Madden
got out of the way and Mr. Lorimer
came to the front in his stead, the
Times-Herald made the matter conspic-
uous by repeating its declaration in
exactly the same form, and with the
same curt assumption Of speaking by
the grace of God. Again it brought
out its font Of black type to say that
mo friend Of Mr.. Mckinley could cast
a vote for Lorimer as senator" The
Times Herald had made it plain in the
meantime that Mr.. Mason was Mr..
McKinley's preference among the vari-
Gus senatorial candidates, and the leg
islatOrs, having learned what they were
expected to do, FASTENED to give thu
nomination to Mr.. Mason unanimously.
We have nc wish to ignore the fact
that Mr. Mckinley did service to the
country and q greater service to his
party by preventing it from sending a
Doodle alderman or a common hanger
on Of the city hall to the United
States senate for six years. With all
mis- failings, and Mr.. Mason has plenty
of them, he is a more responsible and
honorable figure in politics than either
Madden or Lorimer. This, however.
has nothing to do with the methods by
which he was chosen. It does not
change the extraordinary fact that a.
president-elect has directed the legisla-
ture of one of the greatest states in
the Union to register his personal
choice in electing a United States SEN
ator and that it has obeyed. We may
now understand why the Republican
press, as rule, is not in favor of the
election of United States senators by
popular vote. 1t evidently thinks. as
Mr.. Mckinley and Mr. Hanna do. that
they should be named by the president
or his principal boss.