Conservative *
political opinion is concerned , a tyranny
of the majority. Let ine cite some in
stances : In 1898 it seemed to me vital
to the interests of this country that the
Sherman law should bo repealed. Ac
cordingly , I wrote an argument on the
subject , which was to appear in one of
the journals in my city. The day before
its intended publication the vice-presi
dent of the bank of which I was a direc
tor invited me to his office , and , with
all courtesy and consideration , told me
that he had heard of my intention of
publishing such an article ; that he be
lieved , more particularly on account of
its necessary opposition to Senator
Teller , that it would displease many de
positors , and would thus injure the bank.
Accordingly , he protested against my
publishing such an article so long as I
was a director. As soon as I reached
my desk , I wrote to the said vice-presi
dent that if the price of my remaining
a director of the bank was the sealing of
niy lips on questions of such great
national import , I could not pay the
price ; and accordingly I at once for
warded my resignation. Late that very
night I sat in the office of one of our
papers , correcting the proof-sheets of
my article , when a committee of three
compositors waited on me. They stated
that the owner of the paper had con
sented to the appearance of the article
in the next morning's issue if I so de
sired ; that , on the other hand , they
believed its appearance would work a
serious injury to them ; that their work
room depended largely for its support on
orders for county books throughout the
state ; that they felt sure the publica
tion of my article would result in the
cancellation of many county orders and
that , in consequence , a number of them
would be deprived of work. They said
that they had no personal objection to
the sentiments expressed ; that , in fact
some of their number heartily agreed
with them ; but they felt sure that the
county officials would take offense and
withdraw their orders , thus entailing a
great hardship on them. It is needless
to say that I withheld the article from
the newspaper , issuing it only in pam
phlet form.
Let us now consider a contrasting
picture. Mr. St. John was thopresideu
of a very flourishing bank in New Yorli
City. I know him well. He was noithe
a profound student , nor a close logical
reasouor. His acquaintance with eco
nomic history was limited , and his finan
cial views consequently distorted ; but
he was bright , intelligent , a true gentle
man , and honest to the core. His study
of the financial question , prosecuted
with conscientious devotion , had led
him to the honest conviction that "free
silver" coinage would be conducive to
the best interests of the United States.
Instead of concealing his views as a
weak or calculating man would have
done , he believed it his duty to express
himself publicly and boldly. His bank
directors reasoned and pleaded with
him , but they could neither change his
views nor his public course. Finally ,
despite the fact that the bank was grow
ing and prospering under his adminis
tration , the directors , swayed by excited
ublic feeling , gave him to understand
ihat his resignation from the presidency
.vould . be acceptable. He resigned , ac-
ordingly , and , in the face of thestroug-
: st local and social influences , throw
limself into the silver campaign of
896. The following year , overweighted
svith disappointment , chagrin and
.nxious strain , he died of a broken
icart. I attended his funeral , and ,
although I had differed so widely from
lis financial conclusions , yet I deeply
realized that St. John had passed away
as a noble martyr to the spirit of politi
cal independence.
The tyranny of the majority will
always manifest itself in a republic
which is ruled by political machines ;
and its natural effect is to repress the
formation and the expression of inde
pendent opinion. Do Tocqueville , who
visited the United States in Jackson's
time , says in his famous work :
"In America the majority raises very
formidable barriers to the liberty of
opinion ; within these barriers on author
may write whatever he pleases , but he
will repent it if he ever step beyond
them. His political career is closed
forever , since he has offended the only
authority which is able to promote his
success. I know no country in which
there is so little true independence of
mind as in America. In that immense
crowd which throngs the avenues to
power in the United States I found very
few men who displayed any of tha
manly candour and that masculine in
dependence of opinion which frequentlj
distinguished the Americans in forme ]
times , and which constitutes the leading
feature in distinguished characters
wheresoever they may bo found. "
What , then , we ask , can be done t <
assist the growth of political iudepen
donee ? And , as between the partie
which appeal for support , what should
be the attitude of the true lover of this
republic ? Let me call attention to th
fact that the underlying principle of th
nation is that a certain number of citizens
zons will free themselves from th
slavish subjection to party. If nobodj
changed from one party to another , all
elections would practically be unneces
sary. Another fact worthy of notice ,
and carrying with it a most valuable
lesson , is that the greatest political inde
pendence prevails in those states which
are supplied with independent news
papers. The circulation of independent
papers like the New York Evening Post ,
the Now York Herald , and the New
York Times explains 'the independence
of voting which characterizes the states
of New York , Connecticut , and New
Jersey.
Any thing that will weaken the power
and the influence of the political machine
will , in the same ratio , increase the ex
ercise of independent political action.
"The spoils system" is the hideous
mother from which the political ma-
cliine , with its brood of self-seeking ,
clamorous , dangerous party henchmen ,
steadily draws its protection and its
nourishment. Strangle the detestable
) eldame by thorough-going civil service
eform , and her abominable offspring
vill speedily expire from inanition !
[ CONCLUDED NEXT WEEK. ]
In his second in
STATESMANLIKE augural , delivered
CONSISTENCY. on the Fourth of
March , 1901 , Mr.
MoKinley , referring to Cuba , said :
"I have been assisting its people in the
luccessive steps necessary to the estab-
ishment of a free and independent gov-
irnment prepared to assume and per-
'orm the obligations of international
aw which now rest upon the United
tates under the treaty of Paris. "
Again this eminent phrase-maker re
marks in the same address :
"The principles which led to our iu-
lorvontion require that the fundamental
aw upon which the new government
rests shall be adapted to secure a gov
ernment capable of performing the
duties and discharging the functions of
a separate nation. "
And yet this is the same MoKiuley
> vho approved the resolutions attached
to the army bill , which resolutions are
diametrically opposed to the doctrines
of his inaugural. These resolutions
simply acknowledge Cuba as being
under a protectorate of the United
States. They declare that the govern
ment of Cuba shall execute the plans
devised by the United States for certain
purposes. They even provide that "the
island of Pinas shall be omitted from
the constitutional boundaries of Ouba ,
the title thereto being left to future ad
justment by treaty. "
Is this an acknowledgment of the
capability of Ouba for "performing the
duties and discharging the functions of
a separate nation ? " And after all our
pretence of having interfered between
Spain and Cuba from purely philanthro
pic motives , and after all our vehement
declarations that our sole object was to
release from tyrannous bondage the
Cuban people , how does this part of the
resolutions which McKinley approved
sound :
"That to enable the United States to
maintain the independence of Cuba and
to protect the people thereof as well as
for its own advancement , the govern
ment of Cuba will sell or lease to the
United States lauds necessary for coal
ing or naval stations at certain specified
points to be agreed upon with the presi
dent of the United States. "
There is certainly as much flavor of
"criminal aggression" in this as there is
aroma of "benevolent assimilation. "
No president of the United States has
ever been so consistently inconsistent as
William MoKinley.
