The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-06
High*SpnI
time q p. M. st. PauD.
A DEMOCRATIC DUTY.

Democrats can learn much If they de-
sire from the tone of the Imperialisr
speeches which found delivery on Tues
day last. They were many, and thew
were, most of them, halcyon and vocif-
erous. Mark Hanna and Chauncey
Depew sounded the keynote for the rest
of the oratorical brood and as a result We
have had a glorification Of militarism and
trustism such as should arouse the fears
of all thoughtful men for the future of
American institutions
Everything is lovely now IN the United
States. If only a few traitors could be
muzzled, and things let to go just as they
are going in the industrial concerns of the
country, the pro perity which is coming
upon us would increase until 1t had be-
come perfect torrent. 1t is, moreover.
of course due entirely to the remedial
measures which our masters, the I'm
perialists have inaugurated, notwith
standing that the only financial or econ
omfc legislation enacted was that occas-
Toned by the necessity to meet the in
lightful improvement on the Mckinley
tariff BILL now in operation.
This is the burden of the imperialistic
story just at this time. There is no real
belief in the efficacy or good faith of any,
thing or anybody, however, even among
themselves. But there is on the surface
an entire concurrence in the propositions
laid down. On the other hand, Demo-
Gratis are united in regarding the entire
fabric of Imperialism and militarism as
involving the most serious consequences
to the country. There is not policy with
which the present administration is iden
titled that any true Democrat can
give his adhesion to. Save and except the
needed efforts to restore peace and civil
government to Cuba and the Philippines
the whole process is a stencil in the nos
trils of all whose faith in representative
institutions is not blinded by their mar
tisanshp.
Why then are Democrats not at one?
There is no essential difference dividing
them The best minds of the country.
even among leading Republicans, have
serious doubts, and many of them are
openly in opposition to the Republican
policy; yet the discordant note is here
and there heard, showing that there are
those who would rather suffer defeat than
win victories except as they desire to
win them. The admirable address de-
livered before the Tammany society on
Tuesday by the Hon. Joseph ]. WilIet
shows that gentleman to be one of thosa
who fully appreciate the grave DUTY
which rests upon every Democrat in -tha
serious crisis that confronts the country
There can be no truer, more timely or
wiser words than the following taken
from that address,:
A great duty confronts rs that ~ 5ri,.
ing from power the party which con-
temptuously ignores the rights Of tba
s gre mass mass Oh people and makes laws for
the favored few. And to win this victory
all that is necessary is that we shonI3
come together in the old-time spirit ~
mutual I concession and liberation for each
Otner views. When we stand thus
shoulder 20 shoulder and our RepubIicsn
enemy gives US battle we USUALLY IeaWa
nm nm very much in the condition Of those
guns at Manila and Schley's at SantiaSo
69t to get together with the oId-time
spirit ana with the old-time enthusiasm
we. must fight the coming Campaign or;
living issues. The American people are
so constituted, whether happily or un-
nup2liiy mat they prefer to settle the
questions Immediately in front of them
rather T;it,er than those %hich may arise in the
right in front of us upon which we can
all be united. One of these is the tariff
with its monstrosities and absurditfes
The need Of tariff reform was never n1ore
urE*nt than it IS today, and every one
ktihTs we must look to the Democratic
There is not a Democrat who reads
these words, no matter how widely he
thinks he differs in his opinions of party
policy from other Democrats, but should
take those words to himself. and see
whether he cannot do something, how