The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-06
THE RENEGADE.

was founded, is entitled to respect. He
must expect to be the target for ad-
verse criticism, and to be roundly abus-
ed by those of his former associates
who do not agree with the change in
his views Nevertheless, as long as he
follows the truth as he sees it, and can
exhibit motives free from any suspi-
cion of self-interest, he will meet the
inevitable abuse with calmnesS; and
will, in the end. preserve the good opin-
ion of all his fellow men. The last
campaign furnished many conspicuous
illustrations of this. There was a gen.
eral migration back and forth across
party lines; and yet. except in a few
cases, where it was too obvious that old
alliances dropped and new ones form
ed had as their first motive force
! the hope of power and place, the hon
esty of the individual was admitted
and respected.
The term renegade" has an alto
gether different significance 1t applies
to the man who, having made a public
profession of certain beliefs in politics
or religion, suddenly vaults over to the
opposite side with a material consider
alton in view. The clergyman who
abandons a creed that he has accepted
for the sake of filling the pulpit Of a
church of another denomination at a
big salary, or the politician who, with
out a moments warning, changes his
flag either to secure a place that he
holds or to lay hands upon some COW
eted preferment, is of the renegade
type. An almost invariable accompani-
ment of this performance is a sudden
access of hatred for those with whom
he formerly acted, and coarse and ly-
ing Misrepresentation of their objects
and character. This is always the
brand upon the forehead of the rene
gade The man who changes from con-
viction looks upon his old friends in
sorrow, rather than in anger. Know
ing them well, he knows that the ma
jority of them are as honest as he be-
~
and praising their sincerity, he be-
seeches them to gain larger infOrma-
ton and seek more excellent way.
This point of view and this tone and
temper are foreign to and uncompre-
hended by the renegade. Conscious in
his own soul that he has made a pitt
full trade of manhood for pelf, he would
cover the certain exposure of his moral
delinquency by indiscriminate calumny
of those from whom it is likely to ema-
nate His first business is to bespatter
them, if possible. with the filth Of that
petty self-seeking which he has made
fix upon this as the almost universal
distinction between the man who is
guided by principle and the renegade.
If any one could have doubted it be-
fore, and there were few who did, Sen
ator McEnery has taken pains to leave
close the question where he should
be catalogued. He was elected to the
United States senate as a Democrat.
There are, unhappily, various kinds of
Democrats in these changeful days. and
differences of opinion among them
upon questions of public policy There
was no difference, however, in the atti-
tude of the party as a whole toward
the abomination known popularity as
the Dingley bill which has just become
law. While not a few of them were
seduced by promises of local benefit to
approve of some particular feature OF
it that is hostile to the Democratic
idea, the conglomeration of bonuses to
trusts and millionaires was too I'M
Democratic to purchase their favor.
Mr.. McEnery made himself a notable
exception. Under the plea of a benefit
to the sugar-growing industry of his
state, and tied up by no one knows
what alliances in other directions, he
voted for that bill; and, not satisfied
with this treason to Democracy, he now
dares to justify his action by the most
ridiculous and unblushing lie that has
yet been offered on either side of this
controversy
He says that "the Wilson bill sugar
schedule was, as is we'll known, dictat-
ed by the sugar trust" This is a lie
by indirection, in using the ex-
preston Wilson bill" The Wilson bill
was the bill that came from the house;
and Mr.. McEneTy and every other man
knows that the sugar schedule written
into it was not dictated by the sugar
trust. That bill never became a law
1t was transformed into the German
bill by the senate; and that the five
so-called Democrats who betrayed their
party did the bidding of that trust no
one wishes to deny. They are the
sort of men with whom Mr. McEnery
has now arrayed himself He then
adds: 'The Dingley BILL as presented
! to the senate, eliminated all trust in
! f1uence,' and slurs the damning fact
| by saying that "the senate Repub-
| lican caucus compromised with this
opposition and concluded to give O.
small addition to the differential in
favor Of the sugar refiners." Put into
plain Engli h this means that once more
| the senatorial representatives of the
! sugar trust wrote the sugar schedule.
| The difference between what they did
in 1897 and what they did in 1894 is
represented by the estimated profit of