The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-09-14
WEDNESDAY,, SEPT. "A, 1904.
A FOUL MouTHED CAMPAIGN

anu sale Democracy, DIS IL TIE parry
had at some time represented the an
tithesis OF these terms. 1t seems to us
sentative Republicans on a campaign
and its issues indicate on their part a
rabid thought and a violence of express
sion that offend against common de-
cency. Our friends the enemy delight
to point to Theodore Roosevelt as pos
sessed of the instincts of a gentleman,
and to intimate that he is representa-
tive of his party in this respect. When
they get out into actual campaign work
we find that they are pretty frequently
representative of the instincts of a
blackguard.
If this word be thought too severe
we point to two utterances which are
typical of those to be heard just now
all over the United States. When the
New York Sun announced its flop to
Roosevelt, after the latter had received
ranged terms with him, it expressed it's
surrender by saying that it could not
support a platform which it described
as hell BROTH" prepared by "the lewd
and obscene mob" that assembled at
ST. Louis. Now these are under the
circumstances the words of maniac.
Let one dislike and oppose as vigor-
cusly as he pleases the st. Louis con-
vention and all its works, yet if he be
sane and decent he will admit that it
was one of the great conventions of re-
cent times. 1t commanded throughout
all its proceedings the highest respect
of the country. The words 'lewd and
obscene" have a very definite meaning
and cannot easily be misapplied. To
use them with reference to the st.
Louis convention is not mere black
guardism. 1t comes nearer insanity.
In that connection they are not only the
offspring of dirty mind, but they are
foolish and inane. A political oppo-
-nent might call the St.-Louis conyen-
.tion a mob if he pleased or use any one
of a dozen derogatory epithets that
would be abusive without being ira
tional, as is that of the New York Sun.
A Minnesota representative of the
administration has fallen into so ex-
10
indicate that it must be dictated from
headquarters. Marshal Grimshaw is a
high federal official. Holding the office
that he does he cannot participate at
all in the political campaign without
attracting attention. And what he says
and does must be interpreted as having
the sanction of his official chief. Other
wise he would not dare SO to speak or
he would suffer for doing so. In a
speech at Minneapolis Monday evening
he said:
81 want you to strike this conglom-
crate mass Of ignorance and insanity
that goes under the name of Democracy
and strike it hard" This is exactly the
same species of intemperance of which
the New York Sun was guilty, and ii
strikes the key of the Republican cam
paign. Mr.. Grimshaw did not exhaust
his reservoir of filth in the campaign
for the Republican nomination.; and
being now obliged to support the mar
whom he then despatched, he proposes
to take it out of the Democratic party
We wonder how the decent, dispas-
sionate, honest people of the state Of
Minnesota like this kind of campaign
ing.
1t is permitted to Republicans tt
pretend to dislike Democrats very much
and to attribute to them all sorts OF
characteristics and purposes that they
do not possess. This is, unhappiiy, con.
strued as essential to campaigning.
is not permitted ordinarily to pass thu
points of decency in language. VIVA
do our people, many of whom are Demo.
Gratis and all of whom have Democrat:
among their friends and neighbors
think of describing the Democrat,
party as a "conglomerate mass Of ig.
norance and insanity"
Among Mr.. Grinashaw's fellow citi
zens is one named F. G. Winston, VIII,
is a lifelong Democrat and at this tim,
a candidate for high Office at the hands
of the people. Would Mr.. Grimshav
be good enough to state in his next ad
dress to the people of Minneapolis
whether he considers Mr.. Winston zig
norant' or "insane?" Or viii he, havins
recovered his balance, admit that h,
made fool of himself and offered ;
very indecent exhibition to the injur.
of his party?
Such tactics as these have almos
always in the past been an indication O
despair. The man who believes he il
going to win. the man who has a genu