The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-05-27
The Old Guard Passes
IN Y. World i'eleoramN


IN. Y. World ieleoramN
w spite 81 attacks Is, Senator Reed
and M Mills President Roosevelt s
New Deal will be made essie, 81
realization, a. result 81 the passing
Of one Of the more notable landmarks
in American economic and political
history, the Republican, Old Guard.
THE personnel, doinss and disappear
ance Of this notable group are made
the subject OF an excellent article by
Mr.. William G. Murphy, IL. iii the
American Mercury. As lie suggests
"Unwittinely, doubtless, the lament
ed Hoover administration made Its
eieavest bid for the remembrance OF
l>nsterity by buryhs the Republican,
Old Guard.
The Old Guard were the political
agents through ui1iel, the ntoi1eved
powers ruled tie United States fcl
most 81 the iinfe between THE Civil
ed the height Of tlseir power between,
the election, 81 Mckinley and the cie
feat oi TAFT
The Old Guard represented tie
most perfect exefnplificatiorl iii Amer
can history Of John locke's fanaoas
dogma that the 11aan purpose OF gov
eminent is the protection OF property
When the sIavocraGy which had
governed the country during most oi
the generation before the Civil var
was endorsed by the defeat OF the
South the Republican Old Guard
gradually emerged and created q Sys-
tern OF industrial and financial feud-
alisrn Hnnna tcl7ed elsewhere i'll the
modern world They seized upon the
United States senate as the best an
tage point from which, to work.
TIE policies and methods Of the Ole
Guard III connection with the l,r0tec-
ton of property and the crashing OF
liberal legislation we're direct ana IN
soashed, They carried on openly in
the senate, as Mr. Grundy did a gen
GRAFTON later in the LOBBY. Fut wl1en
Mr. Grundy was elected to the senate
he realized the inprop1fety Of doing
openly III the senate what he Fisd nc
hesitation in lobbying FOR outside
This fact in itself showed that the
days OF the Old Guard were over.
The leaders OF the Ole Guard were
Nelson W AIdfich, Of Rhode island
William Boyd Allison, OF iowa Or.
vile Hitchcock Plstt, OF Connecticut
and John Colt Spooner, OF Wisconsin
Powerful Iieutenants were Quay, q
pennsyIvanis; Plat and Depew, 81
New York; Hale, OF Maine, and Lodge
OF Massachusetts.
Together, they formed an imp.eg
nable wall over which the waves q
liberia lism and rsdicsiism broke il
vain until the defeat of Taft in 1912
Not even Theodore Roosevelt's snurt,
Of liberalism were able to overcome
their resistance.
In 1912 they applied the steam roll.
er 70 Roosevelt at Chicago taking th,
logical position that they preferred Il
| maintain control OF q defeated part,
rather than TO surrender dominion
over q victorious one. IourinS tn,
eight hsn wears Of the Wilson admin
istrstion they had tough going. hu
! They took on new lease OF life unda
t1uTuniiS ana NCCtlOSe.
+, They were no longer, however, TIL
same old powerful sutocracy that hex
once been lee BY the naughty Aldricf
The Ole leaders had died. Only Bots
Penrose IN sny way matched th
| giants OF the old days In conscience
less responsibility and arrogance q
manner and he died on the last da'
Of the year 1891.
The direct election Of senator
brought Into office men more incline
TO give some ear to popular opinion
Insurgency grew apace, being helpe
| or notably by the scandals OF TIL
Harding administration. The era q
teudal sristocrats was superseded b
the age O. bellhops. Finally, In Nc
ve,nber, 1891 Smoot, Watson and til
remaining straaglers OF the ono
mighty cohorts were sincthered unde
an avalanche OF ballots cast BY TT
millions who were determined to hay
new deal OF one sort or another.