The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-29
THE OPTIMISTIC MIR. GAGE.

THE OPTIMISTIC MIR. GAGE.
Mr.. Gage seems to be somewhat too
good for the company he keeps, which
is not bestowlng upon him extravagant
praise. His cautious references to the
new tariff bill are an index of his I'M
DERIVING disgust with it's terms. He
submits to 1t because it is the law of
the land and was passed by the Repub-
lican party. With optimistic eye he en-
deavors to believe that, latter a pos
sible brief interregnum," it will furnish
sufficient revenue for the state. Solac-
ing his soul with that poor comfort, he
laments that the senate did not comply
with the recommendations of Mr. Nc
inley and appoint a currency commits
sion. Again, glancing hopefully into
the future, he says that, although this
may be a matter Of regret, it is not
cause for discoura cement, and that
what might have been accomplished
through a commission may be achieved
without one"
We regret to be obliged to differ with
the secretary of the treasury on this
point. The administration has thrown
away its one opportunity to accomplish
financial reform; or, rather, to put it
more accurately, it has deliberately
sacrificed that opportunity to push
through congress a tariff bill redeem
ing the pledges that the great manu-
featuring interests received in exchange
for cash to run the last campaign. Mr.
Mckinley is far more impotent to re-
deem his party promises to the country
than Mr.. Cleveland was to save it from
the financial folly of the Democrats.
He used the power of the administra-
ton to compass the repeal of the Sher
man act In exactly the same way and
with the same effect that Mr.. Mckinley
has used it to Jam through" the tariff
act Each president was left HELPLESS
at the end of the extra session that
opened his administration, and the one.
is, as the other was unable to do any,
thing thereafter
The principal and most desirable Of
hces have been given out. The patron
age of the several states has been turn
ed over to the bosses, ranging in size
from the colossal Plat and the repub-
discriminating Quay to the frisky
and diminutive Tim Byrnes. The free
silver senators have been bought and
paid for in the passage of the tariff
Till. The Republicans of the senate.
with or without Mr.. McKinley's aid.
are impotent to effect any financial re-
form. 1t was made clear that so harm
less a measure as a bill to create a
commission on finance could not pass
the senate, because the Republicans had
promised that it should not. When con-
gress meets in regular session in De-
cember, the situation will be entirely In
the control of the advocates of cheap
money. No commission bill will pass
the senate. When Mr.. Gage says that
what was to have been ACCOMPLISHED
by this means can be achieved with
out it, he cannot mean anything more
than that plan of financial reform is
to be matured outside Of congress and
presented to it for adoption.
That plan will not have the slightest
show of ever getting to vote in the
senate. There is no longer any club in
the administrations hands by which to
beat down opposition. All it's resources
have been spent in passing the tariff
bill, and the senate can and will bid il
defiance. The plain truth is Just this.
that, with the present constitution Of
the senate, the administration had a
choice Offered to it. 1t could force
through either a tariff bill or a bill for
monetary reform, but it could not So
cure the passage of both 1t made it's
choice. 1t abandoned the only issue on
which it secured the support of the
country last year and paid the chattel
mortgage which it had to give to the
corporations. Mr.. Gage optimistic as
he may be, cannot blink the facts. Mel
Their can his party escape the respon-
sibility