Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 April 1894 — One-Man Power. [ARTICLE]

One-Man Power.

Chicago Inter-Ocean. The Democratic theory is that Republican policy tends toward too great concentration of power in the hands of the executive. But when the Democrats get into power they seem to throw their theory out of the window. Never under Republican administration, never in any En-glish-speaking country enjoying a popular form of government, have such displays been made of what the Democratic party, when out of office,loves to denounce as “one-man power," as since the last election. For the first time we have seen the President of the Republic of the United States sending a messenger styled as “My Personal Commissioner” to a deposed monarch, without the advice, and even without the knowledge, Of Congress, striving to precipitate a revolution in favor of royalty in a country friendly to the United States, and seeking still closer relationship with it. We have seen this President trying to force upon an unwi’ling Senate the confirmation of Officials devoted to his personal interests, and we have seen Democratic Senators forced into successful opposition to his autocratic methods. We have seen in Colorado a Governor, Populist in name, but elected by Democrats, provoke the people to the verge of civil war by his exercise of “one-man power." We have seen the Democratic Mayor of Chicago meddling so offensively with the the local affairs of the wards and townships as to excite the spirited leaders of his own party Into successful revolt against his attempted nomination of a ticket for the West Town. We have seen a Democratic Governor of Illinois discharging Democratic trustees of charitable institutions of the State because of their refusal to appoint his creatures —one of them a drunken incompetent—to administer to the wants of the sick and insane, and we now see him striving to oust Democratic commissioners of Lincoln Park because of their unwillingness to dismiss well tried and well proven employes and to put his camp followers in their places. Never was such an era as autocratic interference with the affairs of the people as under the Democratic revival in Washington, Colorado, Illinois and-Chicago. *■ The Republican party now smiles at the false charges of tendency toward the centralization of power, though sadlv, for it suffers as a part of the people whose rights are invaded by Democratic officials. The Republican party never has permitted bosses of natiomlT. State or civic renown’ to act as dictators. It has been a party in which the plain people have been prompt and powerful in the rebuke and suppression of self- seeking and domineering aspirants. It is for the Democratic party to demonstrate ability to make successful resistance to lho.se w'hoshould be its servants but who act as its masters. The result as yet is in doubt.