The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-09-09
Was 1t Such ga Corker? ?"


state was, so far as he is concerned,
opened and closed by Senator Davis, at
Minneapolis, Wednesday night. 1t was
proper, from tactical point of view,
that the two performances should take
place at the home OF the Republican
candidate for governor What is popu-
larly known as a frost" has fallen
upon the Eustis campaign in that city,
due partially to the action of the old
soldiers and partly to natural causes,
and it was necessary to attempt some
thing to counteract it's effect. Possibly
the senior senator did all he could in
the premises, but it must be candidly
admitted, after perusal Of his speech,
that that was not much. His heart
apparently was not in 1t, or, if it was.
his head was at fault, for it was not
q strong political effort. Perhaps 1t
was, as the Minneapolis Tribune de-
scribed it, "a corker," a term, be it I'M
derstood, that is never seriously applied
to the serious treatment of q serious
subject.
Let it be noted that this keynote of
the campaign" failed to deal with the
only single state issue that was evOlV-
ed by the Republicans in their June
convention, to wit, good roads. The
senator treated it with scOrnful silence.
from which we are led to infer that it
must be eliminated from all further
consideration in this campaign. That
being the case, nothing of contempt
raneous human interest pertaining to
the state Of Minnesota and the welfare
of it's people Is advanced for discussion.
Nothing is presented to our view but
the record Of the Grand Old Party, and
when as in this case that record is
without it's two principal props, a high
protective tariff and the bloody shirt,
it's presentation to the public in state
of nudity is positively indicate.
There is a complacercy Of spirit in
dealing with the party's past which
pertains to all utterances of all Re
publican politicians. We are left in
no doubt as to the irstrumentality en-
ployed in bringing prosperity and
plenty to our firesides, but we marvel
at the modesty that, even inferentially,
admits the existence Of a superior pow
err in this great work. This party, by
main strength and IN the short space
which has eiven US our enormous crops,
banished the distrust which was hoard
ing money in its socks, started the
wheels of industry, and did many sur
priSing things with the public revenues,
to say nothing of the deficit Not a
word did the senator have to
say Of the Dingley bill, the
most famous deficit breeder Of
modern times. No reference was made
to the empty treasury bequeathed to
the last Democratic administration by
it's Republican predecessor, nor to the
long line Of Republican legislation
which preceded and in effect precipitat-
ed the panic of 1898. No hint was con-
tanned of the baleful effects Of Alger-
ism. There was no allusion to the failure
of a Republican administration to COM
press it's platform utterances of 1896
into practical legislation in 1898. 1t was
hardly to be expected that the Opening
gun Of the campaign" would be aimed
in any direction where it would do ex-
ecution with the real record Of the
party, and it was not.
1t is true as was claimed, that the
Republican party has been in power In
Minnesota uninterruptedly for thirty
eight years. More is the pity. 1t is,
indeed, entitled to rank as an expert in
the manipulation Of the ballot box such
as can be found nowhere else north OF
Mason and Dixon's line, and as the
result of that long. uninterrupted career,
if the senator's remarks are correctly
interpreted, the population Of this state
has grown from IT'S, 900 to 1900, 900. We
had supposed that the Democracy had
done its duty with some degree Of as
siduity, but this is evidently a mistake.
A party capable Of all the astonishing
feats claimed by Senator Davis would
have no difficulty in multiplying a pop
ulatiOn tenfOld in less than two gen
CREATIONS.
There are some instructive references
IN this political address to the growth
Of our foreign. and particularly our
Oriental trade. Nobody will dispute
the figures, for they are Of record. The
Clio has pointed out with some de-
gree Of particularly that this trade is
developing with amazing rapidity. and
has already outstripped the facilities
for it's transshipment to Asiatic shores.
But something more than the mere
impetus given to our manufactures
and agricultural products is needed to
benefit this country. Federal iegisla-
ton is necessary to the development of
our merchant marine. Obstructive
laws need to be repealed If Americans
are to become the carriers OF surplus
American products to distant markets.
We find no distinct intimation that any
relief Of this character may be expect
ed or is even desired by the party Of
which the senator is so conspicuous a
representative. In fact, the only polit-
ical recognition given this practical
| idea hereabouts was at the recent DEM
ocratic congressional convention in
Saltwater
We doubt whether the Republican
campaign has received such a valuable
contribution in this Clarion Call TO
Victory" (again the Minneapolis Trib-
une) as our esteemed Republican con-
temporaries would have us believe
We are certain that it has done no
damage to John Lind and the forces
which are marshaled behind him. IT
is true that the Republicans have been
in power very many years in this
state. too many in truth, and that the
campaign cry, Turn the rascals ont 1"
is as appropriate this year as 1t ever
was. What charge can be brought
against the Republican party? Bring
forth your bill Of specifications and let
us hear what 1t Is" exclaims Senator
Davis.
"Alger and Algerisn" ought to be a.
| sufficiently distinct charge AS for the