The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-25
POLITICS AND REFORM.
James Cray Tells Why the One Is as
Practical as the Other.

James Cray Tells Why the One Is as
Practical as the Other.
Mr.. Gray said:
I might with propriety demand division
of this question. know Of nothing In the
law of banquets to compel man to discuss
two such divergent, almost belligerent topics
on one supper-politics on the one hand and
reform on the other; politics before taking
and reform after taking; politics in Minne-
apOlis, reform in st. Paul.
The publication Of our politics Is not nee
essarily an iridescent dream. The nation
has broken the nightmare that held 1t to this
repugnant idea. It is still weak. it is COW
ere0 with cold chill, but it is awake. Po-
litieal reform and reform politics, once two
distinct. almost antagonistic branches OF ef-
fort have so far eoalesced as to run paral-
form our politicians is alive to the fact that
he must also give the politician pure material
on which to work. The reformer who has
heretofore exhausted himself inveiighing
above learning the causes of their condition.
We have certainly made progress in locating
the disease. We know that it breeds in our
large cities. that it spreads to the smaller
rural districts. Its germs have been seen,
recognized, even at times touched by the
grand jury. The father of all the baeilli is
indeed the corrupt use of money in elections
Whether 1t is offered directly to an alderman
or member Of congress or expended by a
so-called committee to overwhelm the YER
dict Of the people, 1T is the death dealing
infection that pervades our whole political
system. Our crude sense of justice applies
to the highwayman the rigors Of the law;
twenty years for twenty dollars formerly he
the name of campaign by corruption sap
the independence, honor, nay, even the rea-
son OF our voters We reserve places at the
council board; we feast them and toast them
n
Ohio only United States senator's.
The problem of pure politics Is not an
easy one to solve 1t would be simple to
say: There is no need to use money IN
elections The state prints the ballots; let the
people vote for whom they choose. This
Arcadian measure, however, would have but
one effect. The people, not being period1-
cally stirred, would not respond to their
duty Only a minority would attend the
elections, and the base element would control
the ballot. Organization OF the volunteer
sort appears to be necessary. 1t remains
for the law to establish the line of demarca-
ton between legitimate effort, which makes
for the good Of the community, and sordd
treachery to the interests of the people.
lions result too often in compelling the
bribers merely to change their base. In this
state It would seem as If they had no diff
Guilty in keeping a lap ahead of the law.
Perhaps, as the Irsshman remarked on an
other oecas ion THAT was the intintion."
The Minnesota corrupt practices act does not
measure up III any manner 10 the boys de-
scription Of the hors&it has not four legs.
neither has 1t one on each corner neither
has it any corner.
And yet America has made progress We
have succeeded fairly well IN pro Getting the
ballot. But. while we have safely guarded
the ballot box. we have left the primary,
the key to the whole position, practically m
watched The kind Of legislation we have
had in Minnesota the primary is just
the kind Of legislation sheuld expect from
dominant party. dominant" party IS
one usually mere interested in nominations
than elections 1t expects that any old thing
labeled Republican will pull through at the
polls. And we cannot dispute the proposit on
they have proved it on us too often. But,
while the dominant party Is interested in
nominations, it is not necessarily interested
in good nominations To show you that
this is true I need only mention the fact that
every man who voted fer our present caucus
allow him to be returned Most Of tn m
we're returned Those VINO were n3t were
certain that the state was being ruined
by reform. Minnesota can stand goed deal
legislature there IS hope Of accomplishing
something for caucus reform, but II we
wait for the dominant party to act we shall
probably have to wait until all the Headers"
who have been promised promotion under
the present system have passed out OF S ght.
In that event we shall very likely st;lt d,
like Macbeth when the descendants of Ban
quo file in procession across the stage, and
exclaim with him.
"what, will the line stretch out till the
crack Of DOOM
Party lines. where they traverse the real
necessities Of the people, are distinctly
weaker today than they have ever been.
Nearly all the practical movements for fe-
form In city and state government have
received their impetus from men who broke
party lines in order to gain their ends. The
lessonsWe may gather from the facts IS that
parties are but limited trustees of the towers
Of the people. They do not own anything;
1T. - 1,e1I -.
strict accountability. When they seek to set
UP ownership, to exercise proprietary rights,
to acquire the fee in the ballot, they are apt
to make sad discoveries az to the fcN,enesy
of estimated majorities. Politics and reform
are thus brought closer together For the
party man is not slow to comprehend that his
party must be the agent Of some 1ehaise
movement in favor of the people or It will
soon cease to be party ct all He arms
this not from the hack whose voice and
vote are always to be had, but from the IN
dependent" who is ever on the dividing
line, and who, without prejudice, IS abe
to estimate for himself the good ard evil
influences in all parties. 1t is this cass
of voters, quiet men who neither desire nor
desire is good government-from these lead
ers, if they are wise, learn that reform
is just as practical politics.
The programme for the Speech-mak-
ing was changed by Toastmaster
O'Brien, who said he would take the
liberty of making a substitute for the
address called for from Senator JONES'
ard proposed the toast "The Health of
William J. Bryan" and would ask
Hon. James X. Jones to respond. IN
der the stimulus of the toast and the,
personality Of the distinguished guest
the assemblage went Wild. As Senator
Jones arose the company arose with,
him and greeted him with deafening
applause. The guests waved napkins
and shouted their approval Of the man
and the toast. Senator Jones, spoke
earnestly and went into the broad field
Of political economy and spoke broadly
OH wide topic Fits presence is inn.
and his eminence in the party
made his hearers listen with the knowl-
edge that the speaker would probably
60 into the field OF politics so deeply