The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-03-06
THE ART OF 1T.

The inaugural of the president merely
adds additional proof to that already ex-
listing that he is most accomplished
phrasemonger. 1t is always the same
with him. His rhetoric, whether expend-
ed in sustainment of a prohibitive tariff
or in The prayerfuI exposition of the ma
tioual thanks for blessings which are
most apparent to those who benefit by
them, has ever the same ring. 1t is, like
the man, oleaginous. 1t has, like him,
tco, The quality Of righteousness.
Throughout the inaugural there is moth
ing which may be firmly grasped Ev-
crything is phrased to avoid contention
as much as possible The Republican
party is made to do duty for God AL
mighty and the American people. What
it has done has been done either by GOD
or by the people. There is an unobtru-
siveEess which almost conceals the art
Which hegets it. What, for instance,
might he regarded as more childlllie AMI
bland. or less suggestive of party politi-
cal argument, than the opening sentence
of the presidential message: when we
assembled here on the Fourth of March,
1887, there was great anxiety with re-
gard 10 our currency and credit Now
there exists none" Or this: THE Amer
lean people entrenched in freedom at
home, take their love Of it with them
wherever they go, and they reject as
we lose our own liberties by securing
the enduring foundations of liberty 70
others" 1t is hardly necessary to offer
any analysis Of preachment of this de-
scriDtion. 1t might be summed up in a
few words: BY Gods permission we
have brought our liberties with us to
the Philippines, which we most generous
" bestow on the natives of that be-
nighted land"
This sort of cant passes current now
perhaps more than ever before. 1t has
power to deceive most persons. 1t rep
resents the mold in which is cast a great
deal Of the augmentation by which it
Is sought to maintain the false position
which the administration has deliberate
~ assured in the Philippines How I'M
real it g, how untrue to fact, is evide 1t
in the body of the inaugural We look
in vain for convincing statement or tan
gible assurance on either of the two
subjects which occupy most of the docu-
ment-the Cuban dilemma and the Phil
ippines. Stiffness and evasion, at
tended by the most adroit suppression
OF every suggestion which might initiate
against his administration-those are the
characteristics Of the inaugural address
Of the president
Entering upon new term with the pub
lie Judgment of the country to satisfy,
President Mckinley and his advisers
have a much harder task before them
during the next four years than they
are perhaps disposed to believe. With
an alert opposition in congress the aw-
ful gravity of the situation in the Phil
5rpines cannot continue to be slurred
over by artful phraseoIogy> The result
CT the last election it will be found, can
not be successfully relied upon to with
stand the opposition which is growing
hourly to the main policies of the admin
istration of Mr.. Mckinley. Public in
toTigence will hardly be content to give
to those in charge of our federal con-
Germs the credit for a prosperity which
nature and the genius of the American
people alone make possible.
There is a reverse side to the beauti-
full picture which President Mckinley
present to congress and the country.
That picture viii be a familiar one be-
fore many months of the new admins
tration have elapsed if the prevailing
condition of public sentiment offers any
criterion as to what is likely to happen
in the immediate future