The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-07-28
AN EMPTY FORMALLY


Few ceremonies sanctioned by TIE
practical American people are as emp
ty of force and meaning as the formal
notification of candidate for the
presidency that he has been nominated.
1t follows that few public utterances
are as yapid and perfunctory as the
sions., They are far below the level of
the average reply to an after-dinner
toast 1t would be in much better
taste, if the notification ceremony is to
be preserved, to reply in dozen lines
expressing qualification and postponing
any discussion of issues for the regu-
lar letter of acceptance.
President Roosevelt yesterday neg
lected the opportunity to set SO good
an example, and made an address to
the committee in which he outlines lis
letter and evidently intends to set the
note of the campaign. Hence all Re-
publicans and Republican policies are
lauded and all Democrats abused. 1t
is the customary piece of political
hackwork; not considerable either way
one of that stripe, but rather nauseat-
ing when it is uttered by man whose
supporters endeavor to have the public
idealize him as sincere and truthful
even in politics.
We can forgive the platitudes. EFF
fective government comes only as the
result of the loyal cooperation of
many different persons is not pro-
found sentiment, but it has the virtue
of truth. Not so with the partisan ar
gumeEt. I'VE are not constrained to
keep silent Oh any vital question" is a
remarkable statement with the tariff
issue staring the Republican party in
the face. So is this, in view OF the
Bristow and other reports and the re-
fusal of the administration to face
thorough investigation: 1.-THE betrayals
of trust in the last seven years have.
been insignificant in number compar. "a
with the extent of the public service"
Most extraordinary is this, of the Pau
anna canal: I'VE conducted the nego-
tiation for it's construction with the
incest and most scrupulous honor"
And this was spoken by a man stand
ing on the fragments of dishonored
treaty which he had torn to pieces be-
cause the other party was too weak %
punish our treason to good faith
1t will be kinder to pass over in 81
lence those passages in which the pres
ident, tongue-tied by the dilemma of the
party on the tariff, merely repeats the
insincerities and falsehoods of the party
platform with reference to it's own
purposes and to those of the opposi-
ton. Speaking of reciprocity he has
but one treaty to which he can point.
that with Cuba. The Republican dag
ger has disposed of the rest. OF the
squabble in the party over that he says
that the notable thing '@was the highly
practical manner in which without
sacrifice of principle these differences
of opinion were reconciled." Highly
practical" indeed; consisting in the
purchase by the president of the nun,-
Der of senatorial votes necessary to
ratify by turning over to the rebellioIs
senators the entire control of patron
age in their states
Last and perhaps most extraordi-
nary, in view of the near reference to
Lincoln and Republican traditions. is
the part relating to the Philippines.
I'VE have already given Them" saws
the president. "a large share in their
government" Observe the uncon-
scious irony of the language 1t is
their government; and we are to be
praised for giving to a man "a large
share of that which is his own. In
our attitude toward the Philippines.
refusing even pledge for the future
lest our victim should ESCAPE. COM
pared with the noble words of that
great leader of other days who said
that no man is good enough or wise
enough to govern another man without
that other mans consent. the national
Pecksniff stands revealed.
President Roosevelt doubtless made
the best he could of narrow and
pointless occasion and an invertebrates
argument. 1t seems to us that he
would have been as much gamer for
himself and for the party on it's own
behalf as the country would have bean
from the precedent established if he
mad kept silent instead of uttering
these dreary- words that will not bear
the probe.
Candidate Folk, of Missouri has
pledged himself not to appoint any
member of the state central committee