The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-12-29
The Only Difficulty.

ROCHESTER, MIMI, Dec. q, rs.
Ed. ADVANcE:-The only difficulty
in the way Of success of anti-monopoly
principles arises from the apparent
impossibility of uniting those who are
most concerned in such success in po-
itical action. Your conduct in the re-
cent campaign in this State has been
very unfairly criticised, yet we all know
that it was the course marked out by
the entire anti-monopoly party, until
Mr.. Donnelly made his diversion in ia
vor Of the democrats; and many of us
here know that what you did was the
very thing the anti-monopolists Of this
county demanded that you should do
and pledged themselves to sustain you
in doing.
You resided here several years., and
in all that time worked necessarily for
the success of the anti-monopoly party,
until, under your leadership, the county
was revolutionized, and from being the
banner republican county of the State,
it became the anti-monopoly strong
hold. Yet you asked nothing fol your
self and steadfastly refused to become
a candidate for Office. Now, one would
think that the people of Olmstead coun-
ty would have placed confidence in your
integrity and judg ment and been influ-
enced by you. But was it so? Not q
bit of it.
Mr.. Donnelly, whom the people of
the entire State know to be political
b!underer and to have only his own
personal advancement at heart, aided
by Dr.. Westfall and VIM. Brown, was
able to turn these people not only away
from you, but from their own convic-
tions as we'll. And this, too, when
they knew Westfall to be utterly un-
worthy, and Brown to be mere place.
hunter, without political ability or prin-
ciple. Such were the influences suffi-
Gent to overthrow all that you had
done and that they had resolved to do!
They went into coalition blindly, sank
their organization and destroyed their
party identity. What you predicted
ten months before came to pass; the
coalesced party was badly beaten.
What has the lesson taught them? We
find them still throwing up their caps
for Donnelly, Westfall and Bill Brown,
and regarding with attention the idiotic
chattering of Bill Blakely and Mr.. Hill
man. And this, too, when they know
that all Of these are of-casts from the
republican party, who came into the
anti-monopoly organization simply to
use it for their selfish purposes!
have not written this to flatter you,
but present it as familiar instance, to
illustrate the instability of popular SEN
timent, and show the true reason why
the laboring masses cannot be induced
to unite and labor for the advancement
of their own interests. They will turn
a deaf ear to arguments and entreaties
of a man who has never given them
cause to suspect his sincerity or intelli-
gence, to follow willingly one whose
own conduct condemns him as either a
scoundrel or fool.
I was in hopes that you would take
hold and work for the independent
movement again after the election, but
can see the force of what you urge
against that course, and appreciate your
unwillingness to forward the dirty
schemes Of such unprincipled knaves as
Donnelly, Westfall, Brown and others.
/ know, moreover, that you will neg
lect no occasion to further anti-monop-
oily principles, and even if l should diff
fer with you in opinion, feel that you
will never deserve other than the re-
spect and confidence of the people for
whom you labor, and of whom I am one.
Your friend, H. C.S.
II. G. S. will oblige US hereafter by
emitting the name Of Westf;,ll from his
communications. The fellow is too in
significant to be even abused in our
columns, and unless he proyokes US to
write up his history, we will not defile
our sheet by mentioning him -ED.1
knowledge and Opinions.