The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-11-01
CHANCE FOR THE DEMOCRATS.
Tariff Revision Platform Next Fall
VIII BE a Winner.


The congressional elections will follow
hard on the adjournment of congress,
and the Democrats figure that they can
build a platform on the failure of the
Republican congress correctly to express
the sentiment of the people of the middle
West. They will center their campaign
in this territory with a view to electing
Democratic members to congress, repeat
ing the performance of 1892
Should the Democrats break the Re-
publican majority in congress the effect
on the presidential campaign of 1901
would be very apparent. With Demo-
cratic congress the Republicans would
either have to revise their tariff policy
and follow the way blazed by the oppo-
sition, the moral effect of which would
be greatly to the advantage of the DEM
ocrats, or they would be compelled to
stand by their repudiated tariff policy
and go before the country in the presi-
Dental campaign as the defender of tar
Unprotected trusts. Tariff revision would
become one of the leading issues in the
national campaign, and the results in the
middle West could hardly fail to be dis
astrous for the Republican party.
Minnesota politicians are not slow to
see that a slump In the congressional
elections would have an important eff
feet on the gubernatorial election. If
John Lind is a candidate again land since
Mr.. Rosings speech at the Towne dinner
it is taken for granted that he will be),
it is believed he would have no difficulty
in crystallizing the tariff revision senti-
ment in his favor.
MinneSotanS here also see a prospect Of
breaking the solid Republican representa-
ton in congress. The new Sixth district
will be quite certain to send a Democrat,
and the Elgnth Is as certain to retire
Page Norris in favor Of a Democrat. In
three other districts there will be hot
campaign and good chance to retire the
present members. These are the Fourth,
the Fifth and the Seventh (Mr. Eddys
dfstrict). In the new Ninth a Democrat
would probably be elected under the con-
ditions predicated.
With the exception OF Senator Hans
brough, the members or congress from
the Northwest are keeping very quiet on
reciprocity. Senator Nelson has not
peeped. The utterances of Hansbrough
in his DEVILS Lake Inter-Ocean are re-
garded here as very significant. His edi-
tor1al against reciprocity is considered to
represent the sentiment of party man
ayers like Hanna, Aldrich, Allison and
the rest. Hansbrough has for some time
been the official whip of the senate, and
he is close to the organization. He is ac-
eustomed to follow, not lead. He would
hardly have published this editorial I'M
less he had received a tip which he re-
garded as reliable that nothing would be
done at this session.
President Mckinley foresaw this danger
to the party, and in his BlAalo speech
made clear his belief that the Republic
ans should meet the changed Industrial
conditions of the tariff His views Will
be urged by the friends of reciprocity and
revision in their effort to overcome the
opposition of the trusts.
Much interest will attach to this fea-
ture of President Roosevelt's message to
congress. If he fails to recommend such
action by congress as Mckinley would
certainly have recommended, 1t will be
apparent that his promise to follow IN
the footsteps of the late president Is to
be interpreted in the ''PiekwIckian
sense This will open up a wide and
smooth way for mistakes.