The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-07-04
SENATOR NELSON'S SPEECH.

To the address delivered by Senator
Nelson, acting as chairman of the re-
cent state convention Of his party, the
ordinary intelligent citizen must look,
if anywhere, in connection with the
proceedings of that body, for COM
plete and honest statement of the at
titude Of his party in state and nation
alike on the great issues which are
now before the American people, That
address was prepared evidently with
the utmost care, and it is probably the
best statement that can be made in
that behalf by a Republican statesman
Of the highest order of ability and
character.
The author of that address clearly
recognizes that the tariff and trusts
are the two leading questions of pub
lie concern which are now before the
American people. The defense which
Senator Nelson offers of his party and
it's policy in connection with them
may be accepted as stating all that can
be said by any prominent Republican
seeking to deal honestly with the peo-
pie whom he addresses.
1t is no mere captious statement to
say that Senator Nelson avoids both
OF the issues mentioned with the ut
most care and skill, while appearing
to deal exhaustively with them. He
has not one word to offer in explana-
ton or extenuation of his party in con-
gress in refusing to act on any Of the
several treaties which are awaiting
action in the senate at this time, or on
its failure and refusal to revise the
existing tariff in a single particular.
Yet he has been quoted in the press
ct the state as putting his refusal to
sanction the proposal of the president
for 20 per cent reduction on Cuban
sugar and tobacco on the ground that
his party majority in congress refuses
to act on these treaties
Senator Nelson, addressing himself
to the trust question, quotes a pro-
posed constitutional amendment which
he says Democrats refused to sustain.
Beyond this he does not go in his at
tempt to secure public favor for his
party in that connection. He does
engage himself in an attempt to ex-
Ilain and palliate the demagogic and
altogether dishonest position taken by
the governor Of this state in selecting
the Northern Securities company-and
making of it a political scare-crow,
through which to brighten the people
of the state into re-eIecting that Off
cial to Office.
I G o thinks 1t proper to call
the attention of Senator Nelson to the
universally accepted fact that no con-
stitutional amendment is necessary to
enable legitimate, justifiabIe and eff
fective warfare to be made by national
authority on the monopolistic COM
binations which have aroused the fears
of all thoughtful citizens for their So
Cial and industrial safety. 1t goes a
step further and calls the attention of
that gentleman to the fact that a
recognized tariff reformer such as he
might be expected at least to make
some reference to the refusal of the
Republican majority in congress to
meet the Democratic demand that the
protection, amounting in practical
operation to vast governmental sub
sides, extended to most of the danger
Gus trusts Of our time under Republic
an legislation, should be wipedSout.
Does Senator Nelson concur in the
accepted policy Of his party of letting
well enough alone in connection with
existing tariff-bred monopolies? Sena-
tor Nelson's speech is, as we have al
ready said, an able performance; but
he must pardon T h e Globe for tell
ing him, that no careful student of
that speech can rise from it's perusaI
without the settled conviction that it's
ability lies chiefly in it's avoidance of
rnost of the great issues which divide
the parties in both the state and ma
ton.
What has the Republican party done
through it's majority in the present
congress to satisfy any intelligent
man, whose judgment is not blinded by
his partisanship, that it means to curb
the operations of the trusts? What
can Senator Nelson point to in the way
of relief Of the producing masses Of