New-York tribune., 1874-08-25
A PEOPLES PARTY.
Continued frsm First Page.

have gone further than merely to have sympathized
with the Rebellion-they must have fought for 1t.
1t is for tins that find among the candi-
dates who VIII be offered to the Democratic Conven-
tion at jefferson City, next Wednesday, some who,
while there is really little to be said against them
would not be thought of. were it not for their
records as Confederate soldiers.
AN AGRICULTURAL EDTToRs SEEKING THE DEMO-
CRATIC NOMINATION.
The Democratic party is also likely to be divided
on another issue, and that a personal one. Up to
this evening the strongest candidate who has been
named for the leading place on their ticket Is Nor
man j. Colman. the editor and proprietor OF The
Rural Ford. Mr. COlman is more widely known
among the people than any other man in the State.
For twenty years il has been his habit to travel
over the State, formerly in the interests of his paper
attending meetings and fairs in all sorts of out-of-
the-way places, and making speeches to the people.
suppose no five men in Missouri have together
visited so many places in the State and made the
personal acquaintance of so many people as Col
-Colman. He is also rather popular With the Gran
gers his paper having been much recognized as
their organ as any. Col. Colman was Union man
during the war. bat has formed an alliance Win
Messrs Clark and Salmon. the present state Auditor
and Treasurer who were Confederates. and by
uniting their forces they will go into the Conven-
tion very much stronger than any other candidates
greater than that which would be shown to any
other man In the first place, he is considered per-
sonally unit for the GOvernorship. l do MT mean
TO saw that he Is accused of dishonesty corruption,
but that he is not considered by many in his own
party as sufficiently competent for the place winch
ought now to be filled by man of exceptional abll-
ity His alliance with Clark and Salmon would
also place him in the power Of the State Treasury
Ring which honest men in the party desire to break
I'D; and finally, he is looked upon as demagogue
who while he opposes everything that tends to
throw the Grange into politics. Is secretly using the
order fpr his own political advancement.
SO bitter is this personal opposition toCol. Colman
that if he is nominated as now seems likely. very
respectable minority OF the Democratic Convention
Will surely bolt and call another convention to meet
on the same day, and at the same place with the
Peoples Convention. This would bring at once to
the Independent cause so much Democratic strength
that its success would be well nigh assured. If.
therefore the telegraph assures you. next Wednes-
day night, that Col. Colman was nominated on the
first or second ballot and that part of the Conven-
ton left the hall, you can pretty safely predict
rousng Independent Convention on the I'd OF Sep
tember and the nomination there OF the next uoV-
ernor of Missouri.
UNIVERSAL APATHY AMONG THE DEMOCRATS
The strongest opponent Col. Colnan will have in
the Convention will be Gen. Cockrsll. gallant OFF,
Ger of the Confederate army. and for aught have
heard an honest man OF fair ability. But the only
ground on which his nomination is urged is that he
was Confederate officer. Some of the best in.
formed Democratic politicians believe that If Col
man should be defeated his friends would not allow
CoekreI to be nominated but that the choice would
fall upon Hardin, OF McClelland, Stevens. Should
Cockrell be nominated considerable number OF
Democrats led probably by The 81 Louis Republican,
4 i'm of
federate record but because his claims to support
would be based solely on that record
But suppose the Democratic Convention should
agree upon ticket against which there would be no
Organized bolt, what would then become OF tne
Peoples partyi Its most enthusiastic supporters
believe that even then they would be able TO defeat
the Democrats, and they predicate this belief on the
apathy which is apparent among the rank and file
of the Democracy IN many parts Of the State In
numerous counties which have heretofore given
large Democratic majOrlties, attempts TO hold dele
gate county conventions have failed; the township
caucuses either neglected TO meet refused to
choose delegates. In other counties no attempts
have been made TO hold delegate conventions, and
the business has been done by mass conventions of
politicians who may OF may not represent the voters
of their respective districts. Some Democratic
codntles will not be represented in the State Con-
vention at all | met gentleman yesterday from
st. Charles County who told me than only four men
attended the Democratic Convention in that county,
and one Of those was politician from this city. No
delegates TO the State Convention were chosen.
1t may be that this apathy which is apparent to
everybody simply means that the people are dis
gusted with politics. and don't propose to vote at all
this Fall. but the Independents interpret it an
evidence of the strength of their movement. In
either event it is unfavOrable sign for the Democ
racy.
vaPArHrEs OF THE GERMANS AND THE FARMERS
he Peoples party will command the almost unan-
-ous vote of at least 80 600 Germans who absained
som voting in 1872 chiefly because they did not like
Mr. Greeeys views on the temperance question.
The Germans of Missouri may almost always be
united upon 10 support any independent move
lent thai looks toward reform, and thas year they
are arou sed and fully enlisted in the third party
plan. They are well represented in the delegation
from this county to the Convention of September 2,
delegation by the way. which is admitted by all
parties to be composed OF the very best in this
city, such body of men as never before represented
st Louis in any political convention.
The farmers who are gathered into the two
thousand Oranges of the State are, thus far,
known quantity IN the political problem Nobody
-Iretends TO know what they will do. The majority
If them have heretofore been Democrats and should
any considerable proportion of them support the
Independent ticket, its success would be more than
probable. But the fact that the Peoples Conven-
non was called by the Advisory Committee Of
the Grange does not commit the Grange
20 the support of its action. The six men
who signed the Bonneville call appointed by the
State Grange TO consider what course tkat organiza
fion should take in regard to political questions
1t was generally supposed that they would report
against any participation by the Grange per Sc in
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