The Saint Paul globe., 1898-09-16

the Democratic household in Minnesota
this year. There are no gold" Demo-
Gratis nor any ''silver" Democrats. Not
wholly because men have abandoned
the ideas that divided them into those
two factions, but because, were the
cause still existent, in no possible way
could any Democrat effectively express
his judgment upon it in the approach
Ing state election. The Democratic
state convention wisely recognized this
condition, and it as wisely and sensibly
directed the campaign to be fought out
on issues that are confined to the state
and it's affairs, on which every voter
may give effective expression of judg-
ment by his ballot.
The G o b e assumed this attitude
from the start and made no sacrifice
of principle in so doing. The position
taken by Mr.. Cutcheon, who served as
a member for Minnesota of the nation
al committee Of the National Demo-
cratic organization, together with his
high character, his exceptional ability
and his thorough going Democracy,
gives to his opinion Of Democratic duty
a weight that should be determinatiVe
for every Democrat who took the same
position he did two years ago. 1t was
a fine tribute to Mr.. CutcheOn that the
intense heat of the factional fire of that
campaign left intact the respect felt
for him by those who dssented from
his financial opinions. Where Mr..
Cutcheon leads this year no gold"
Democrat need fear to follow.
In the interview given in The
G / OBJ of Thursday, Mr.. Cutcheon
gave his reasons for his support Of the
state ticket. He recognizes that there
is a fundamental difference in the con-
ceptions of the two parties Of the le-
gitimate functions of the state, and he
believes thoroughly in that held by
Democracy. He believes that the
state should interfere as little with the
freedom Of action of the citizen as Is
consistent with the similar freedom Of
ali other citizens. He sees that the
Republican conception is the opposite
Of this; that the state should interfere
and regulate and restrict whenever and
wherever any specious pretense Of gen.
eTal welfare can be devised And he
finds in the legislation Of this state,
dominated by Republicanism for thir-
ty-five years, ample proof that that
party has been true to its conception.
Immediately upon the nomination Of
the state ticket, the Republican press
knowing that the success Of it's party
depended upon maintaining the divis-
ion in the Democratic party, attempt
ed to raise anew the issue which caused
that division. 1t dwelt profusely and
with constant iteration upon the affirm
alton of the Chicago platform, and de-
clared that that presented the sole Is
sue for Minnesota voters to pass judg-
ment upon. Its convention adopted the
same line Of tactics and gave every
plank but one to national questions,
and that one merely aVOWed the pref
erence of the convention for good over
bad roads. 1t sedulously avoided all
the numerous issues relating to the
public affairs Of the state presented by
the Democrats. Mr.. Cutcheon is not
at all alarmed by this bugaboo. What
ever spasms Of alarm these Republi-
cans may affect now, he knows we'll
that they will be equally positive in
asserting that Mr.. Lind's election will
have none Of the effects here or abroad
which, before the event, they pre-
dicted.
Summarized, Mr.. Cutcheon's reasons
for giving his vote to the state ticket
this fall are: A belief in the Democratic
party as an organization and an unbe-
lief in the Republican party as an or
ganization; the misgoVernment Of the
state under thirty-five years Of ring
rule; the loosening of the grip of the
ring on the throat of the state that Mr.
Lind's election would insure; the silli-
ness Of the Republican effort to dis
gGise the real issues Of the campaign
with an irrelevant national question,
and, finally, the cool abandonment by
the Republican convention Of all the
pretenSeS Of that party for preserva-
ton Of the judiciary from partisanry
in its rejection of Judges Mitchell and
Canty and the nomination Of three par
| tisans. inspired by the belief that this
is to be one Of the years in which Re-
publicans can elect a yellow dog"
These reasons should be sufficient for
every other Democrat who, two years
ago, felt that he could not follow the
organization.
Let Democrats get together.