The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-01

test. as an important factor. we have
the national administration, unsupport-
ed by congress, Drawing unpopularity
breasting the storm that ragged about
it, sturdily maintaining the nations
credit and the solvency of it's currency
increasing the national debt by the
sale Of bonds to get gold wherewith to-
replenish the fund for the redemption
of the obligations of the nation. It is
only when we contemplate the make
shifts and cowardly compromises with
which previous administrations and
congresses had met the threatening
dangers, seeking only to avoid and
staVe off the inevitable day of disaster,
that we can get the proper point for
measuring the greatness and impor-
lance of this attitude of the admins
tration OF President Cleveland Will
helms cartoon might be fifty changed
to represent the president standing
guard at the portals of the temple of
industry repulsing the demons who
NOO1O C4tiC1 anu WI Ae1NOC lAICiSs
Curiously. as if to add to the doubt of
the capacity of republics to govern we'll
or wisely, We see the year closing with
the assembling of the national congress
ceeding, not to securing the fruits of
the great victory, but to preparing
methods for increasing federal reve-
nues by erecting a higher dam across
one of the main affiuents.
Not second in Importance to the re-
!, suit of the battle of the standards.
when one takes into view the relations
! of this country to the other nations
! of the Western continents and to the
United Kingdom and her dependencies,
are the immediate and far-reaching re-
suits of the Venezuelan affair. From
! an abstraction the Monroe doctrine has
| become a concrete, forceful actuality,
| more pregnant with significance for
our OWL future and that of the other
republics of the Western hemisphere
than 1t was when President Monroe an
nounced it seventy three years ago. It
is not alone that it's vagueness has been
reduced to terms Of precision and that
the power with which we are most
! closely associated accepts the delimita-
ton OF the doctrine, that one can dis
| Germ the greater significance involved in
! the outcome that is now practically
accomplished. 1t IS in the triumph Of
the principle Of the settlement of any
difference that may arise between US
and our English cousins by arbitration
instead of by buster or by war. Nom
inally established for five years, it is
| practically established for all time.
! Before it's influence the hereditary ami
mosities, reused into fierceness by dis
| putes whose traditional place Of settle
ment was in the court of battles, and
| famed by politicians to whom national
| antipathies were stock in trade, will
subside, and the two great English
speaking peoples will become an aug
mented force making for civilization
and progress and freedom
Any notation of those larger events
Of the year that affect not only the
present, but take an influencing hold
on the future, would be deficient that
| did not mention the practical triumph
and completion of the reform of the
! civil service Of the nation this year by
| the sweeping executive orders of the
president transferring all but some 700
of the $4,000 civil appointments from the
| spoils to the merit system. Where the
reform has been begun in any state
its progress has been steady and all
efforts to retard or defeat it have been
futile.