The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-09-01
pINGREE,s oLFAcToRY NERVE.


PINGREE'S OLFACTORY NERVE.
P1ngree is one of the Republican poll
ticfans who, for the past two fyears, has
been accounted 'Just as good as Demo-
GRAFT" He has received the applause of
Democrats all over the. country and the
votes of so many of them in the state Of
Michigan that in spite of his opposition
to the Republican national machine, and
his reputation by many Of the leaders Of
his party in his own state, he has been
elected and reelected as governor by
steadily increasing majorities.
Gov. Pingree has just avowed himself
Republican, who is opposed to Hanna
sert his party. He will vote the Repub-
lican national ticket, he says, but he will
cover UP his nostrils while he is doing the
act In other words he regards himself
as doing a morally rotten thing In SO
voting, but he will overcome the offense
to his moral understanding by holding his
fingers to his nose.
Would not Gov. Pingree be a Democrat
had he decided to vote against the adj
ministration? Is he not on the other
hand, a sure-enough Republican since he
decides to vote for it?
How is one to difrerentiate? Pingree
has avowed himself as accepting the most
"advancedr of the opinions of those who
are in charge of the fortunes Of the De
mocracy. Populism has no terrors for
him He might indeed be said, with Ig-
natfus DonneIly and other great radicals
of our time, to "stand squarely on the
Omaha platform "a declaration of prin-
ciples which has found almost complete
embodiment in the later platform adopted
at Kansas City.
The statesman Of the potato patch has
never disavowed any OF the forms of So
cial or political faith with which he has
been identified in the public mind. He
has We'd with the great golden rule
statesman who is at present mayor of
Columbus, and at one time it was a
neck and neck race of popularity between
the two. Mr.. Jones has yet to be heard
from. 1t is amongst the possibilities that
he may vote the Socialist-Democrati
ticket himself; but the probabilities are
entirely against his aiding in the election
of the Democratic national ticket.
Whatever way Jones goes, Ptngree has
gone his way 1t is the old way. He took
care never to burn his bridges; and. hence.
when the time came to make a mastery
retreat, he found it necessary only to
avow himself something of q cur and a
traitor and to take up his retreat in good
order.
Senator Hears DETECTION was a very
cruel disappointment to many. But Sem
ator Hoar had never gone an inch along
the highway which the Democracy is now
travelling, save In pursuit of a Republican
anti-imperialist willie -the-wisp. When
he found that it was ali Illusion he was
pursuing, and that his Republican brefh-
rem proposed to follow the more alluring
and substantial light OF colonial enrich
mont, he merely retraced his steps. sor-
rowfrIIy and repentantly at first, but joy
ousiy and aggressively soon after, as be-
came statesman who had always chosen
before to receive illumination from the
doctrine of a distinguished Republican
president and martyr, by name Abraham
Lincoln.
Allen S. Pingree is no more a Democrat.
Or even a PopuIist. He is now plain
Republican. He refuses to support Will
liam Jennings Bryan, and hence he can
not be a Democrat He does support vii,
liam Mckinley, and he must, accordingly,
be q Republican. What Pingree really is
politically in his own estimation it would
be an interesting psychological truth to
be made aware Of