The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-29
WHAT IT MEANS.

WHAT II MEANS.
The decision Of Mr.. Hanna, who has
kindly consented to run this country
Tor a while, that political agitation"
must cease for the next four years, is
wholly Ineligible. With nearly six
weeks yet to elapse before the new ad-
ministratiOn is to come into power, it
has SO far manifested it's plans and pur-
poses as to evoke a storm Of hostile
criticism, and to make it clear that if
another election were to be held before
the 4th of March the Republican party
would be excluded from power by
majority as decisive as that recorded
in its favor last November 1t has done
this by blasting every hope and faIsify-
ing every promise that bl0omed into life
during the campaign. Having assured
its grip upon the machinery of govern
ment for the next four years, it has
announced its plan to run that ma
chinery, without regard to the peoples
interest, for the sole benefit of the DOW
erfEi and greedy interests that control
it. What Mr.. Hanna means by the
vaguA phrase political agitation" he
does not condescend to inform US. Pc
liticaI agitation, in the shape of crit
icism Of men and measures, of the
suggestion Of new policies and the dis
cussion Of old, is always under way
in this country, and always will be as
long as the people pretend to manage
thir own affairs.
A very desperate, dangerous and
unnecessary political agitation has
been begun and is to be car
ried to completion by the discussion Of
Mr.. Hanna, Endorsed by Mr.. Mckinley
This is the revision Of the tariff in the
interest of monopoly, which is to be
carried out by congress at a special
session to be called Immediately after
the Inauguration. There is no
more need, excuse or apol-
ogy for this proceeding than for declar-
ing war against Russia, or dumping all
the gold in the United States treasury
into New York harbor 1t is a breach Of
faith with the people, because public
opinion compelled practical silence ex-
cept at Canton last year on the tariff
question, and determined that the issue
Of the campaign should be ereform Of
our monetary system. AS a promise thar
this would be carried out, Mr.. Hanna
and his Iieutenants announced. during
and after the campaign. that poD1IIar
education on the financial question
would be carried on actively in the in
terVal- between elections. This is the
promise which Mr.. Hanna has now de-
termined to withdraw, and this is the
only meaning that can be attributed
TO his statement concerning the ces-
sation Of political agitation"
1t is not at all wonderful that he
should desire this. Every expression of
opinion from Republican sources up to
date upon finance, since the election re-
turns were announced, is a disgrace
and an eternal humiliation to the party.
1t is trucking today, as it never did
before, even in the reckless era of
1890, to the cheap money sentiment. It's
leading organs, like the New York
Journal, and its leading men. from
John Sherman down, declare that the
greenbacks must net sc retired. All
Of them are equally convinced that
some truce must be agreed upon with
the silver men; first, to secure the
passage of a tariff enormity. and sec
ond, to cure the split in the Dartv
ranks. To enunciate and distribute
sound opinions on the money question
would defeat that programme. To cir
culate unsound opinions would provoke
more strenuous protest than has vet
been heard. 1t is, therefore, a mere
matter Of necessity when Mr.. Hanna
concludes that, like Bre'r Rabbit. the
Republican leaders ought to clay low"
This is all that any man has expected
who is familiar with the Republican
party and the influences that dominate
it. 1t is as hopeless to change those as
1t is to try to galvanize a corpse into
new life. Or to restore to vigorous
growth an organism already far adj
vanced in the process of putrefaction
The programme Of the Republican par
ty is to prepare unlimited distress for
all business interests Of this country
by prolonging political agitation" as
to the tariff, and perpetuating existing
uncertainty and apprehension as to our
at the end Of its four years tenure, an
overwhelming revolution. by a disgust