St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-07-29


Democratic principles, and known hostility to
all forms of political misrule had gained for
you the confidence and esteem of q large
number of political friends, to whom 1t would
be especially gratifying II an opportunity
was given you to prove your faith by your
works and thereby gain recognition as an
earnest Jealous advocate of the rights of the
common people. If 1 erred in connecting
your valuable name without your consent,
with measure of which you are ignorant,
/ am compelled to plead the foregoingin ex-
tenuation of that error. keenly regret that
through it I Internationally brought your
name before the people in connection with
movement with which, as your letter seems
to imply YOU are not fully in accord, and
thereby ignored some one who would have
esteemed as pearl of honor that which you,
without examination, SO hastily decline.
If / understand correctly the motive of the
gentlemen composing the Democratic con-
ference-to which you refer by personal
desienation-and / know 1t to be Identical
with my own, it is to carry into effect that
which you claim to be the rule and guide or
your political faith; to take the necessary
steps to secure within party lines and by
honorable means, a state convention which
shall be composed of delegates fairly elected,
and fully and fairly represent the Democracy
of Minnesota. II, in such III convention,
q majority shall determine that Democratic
tinkling cymbal'' l shally lose faith in that
.'virtue and courage" of which you write, so
essentially necessary to enable us ITO present
q strong front to our common enemy. am
not willing 10 engage In personal warfare
for the purpose of lnflicting punishment on
those who may have thwarted the political
ambition of individual members of the party
The domain of vitipuration and political
..mud-slinging' presents no Fascinating
charms to me. ! believe, in common with
many others, that the Democratic party has
a higher and nobler mission to perform than
to engage IN an unseemly scramble for
federal patronage l do not believe that 1t
should tamely submit to Prsetorlan guards
bartering the imperial purple. To-day, as
the direct result of the revolt OF and lndlg-
nant and outraged people against polltlcal
and corporate greed, the honored chief OF
the Democratic party sits-anid the wreck
and rubbish of constitutional lIberty-in the
city founded by the father of the republic.
What has he discovered?
Our public domain, which we thought mex
haustible, has well nigh disappeared, granted
to great corporations and land thieves OF
various degrees. We have encouraged rail-
ways with land grants until they are virtually
our masters. They buy our offceholders
with what they stole from the people. We
have boosted of our national resources and
doomed our natural advantages until Eu-
rope is deluging us with-hurlers of dyna-
mite bombs.
Our patent laws, originally intended to pro-
tect the inventor, are now little better than q
means Of allowing constituencies capitalists
to rob the people When four or five sewing
machine monOpolies can wiring from the
women of the country one hundred millions
in twenty years; when four or FIVE railway
kings can steal one hundred and sixty millions
in twenty years; when an Oil company can
pile fabulous millions on millions in ten
years; when Wall street pirate can steal
Oyln hI1r IL
ions in twenty years by wrecking railroads,
Selling telegraphs and endangering the busi-
ness interests of the country; when three or
four great coal monopolies can own the fuel
of a continent and charge eXtortionate prices
for it; when the rich daily grow enormously
richer and the poor daily grow poorer; when
all these things can occur, under the sanction
of law, in great republic, is it not time to
stop and think? Having reflected, is
1t not time to act before our slavery
is complete and irremedable? What
must we do? Join the ranks of the commu-
mist? No; communism is monster too vile
to be tolerated for an instant. 1t is the dan
gerous weapon of the reckless, the improvi-
dent, the criminal. What then? Purify poll
tics. Elect honest men, pledged to honest
measures. Let public opinion place bribery
on a par with horse stealing. Let US at all
hazards stay this tide of corruption. Other
wise the horrors of the French Revolution
may be repeated on American soil during, if.
not before, the dawn of the twentieth CEN
tury.'
These facts constitute the foundation of
my my political action. If in that action
there be anything contrary TO Democratic
principles Or party fealty, have been una
bic thus far, in the light afforded me, to dis
cover it. Rest assured, my dear sir, my
earnest efforts will continue to be exercised
in carrying out the purpose and aims above
indicated, for, although I am but plain
man, sprung from the ranks of the common
people, poor in material wealth, am rich
thrice an hundred times millionaire, i'll
loyalty to my native land and its liberal in
situations. And, while like yourself, may
not be able to influence the sending of a
single delegate to the state convention 1
am at least ready to make an effort. Yours
truly, PERCY B. SMITH.