The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-10-23
DEsPIcABAn POLITICS.

1t must be a source of qualification TO
all thinking men that the great cam
paign which is now in progress has.
thus far been conducted with such abso-
lutte freedom from ali the forms Of
maleveIence and personal abuse which
have only too often distinguished Amer
lean political contests. The great strug
gle for the presidency progresses day by
day or the lines of legitimate public dis
cussfon; and the issues on which the pub
lie is called or to express it's will are
those which invofve only grave questions
of public policy.
1t is unfortunately the fact that here
and there throughout the contest there
allied conceptions. We have had such
presented to Us when the Republican cam
dfdate for vice president, for instance,
felt called on to descend to the small
expedient of denouneing tie opposition
party in connection with the ice trust
and endeavoring to hold its representa-
transaction because two leading Demo-
cratic politicians in New York are shown
to have owned stock in the ice trust,
when, as is now conceded, 90 per cent OF
the stock is held by men who are stanneh
adherents of Mr. KooseveIt's own can1i-
daey and party. But such episodes as
this represent mercy transitery de-
parture from the exalted lines on which
the fight is generally being conducted.
In this state we have had one or two
instances in which the mean and des-
picabIe features of political controversy
have asserted themselves. One of these
has reference to ex-Judge' CAVITY, of the
supreme court In the fuifi1lment of a
well defined and valuable pubic under
taking Judge Canty visited the Philip,
pines. He went as the representative Of
the state, and the total expense incurred
by the state In connection with the
judges mission was something like $780,
He discharged the trust reposed i'll him
to the satisfaction of state authority, and
his visit viii, as he has so clearly shown,
result in a saving to the state of many
times the sum 50 expended.
But one of Mr.. Van SAINTS campaign
manage a senator of this state named
Young. has thought proper to assan Gov.
Lind in connection with the mission of
Judge CAVITY, and 10 charge that the
moneys of the state were Improperly ex-
pended. Judge CAVITY does not seem to
have had any thought of charging the
state with anything in the way of per-
sonal compensation for the services which
| he rendered, ane the entire benefit of the
knowledge acquired by him Of the con-
jitions attending the market for binding
| material in the Philippine islands goes to
| the state free of any charge whatever.
Considering the record which Repub-
hcan politicians and officeho,ders have
made for themselves in the past twenty
years or over of extravaganza. and worse
in the administration of the affairs OF the
state it certainly requires the very ex-
/ IRENE of public impudenee to bring for
ward SO false. malicious, misleading and
| altogether contemplate charge as that
which Senator Young has fathered
Every honorable man who Keeps his
senses in this campaign must look upon
| this outrage on private character as de-
serving of serious rebuke. II it does
not result in bringing serious conse-
auenees to those who are responsible for
| Its perpetuation and to the candidates
whom they represent, it will only be be-
cause the people of the state regard
those who have originated it, as we'll as
the libelous business itself, as too small
to merit their contempt.