Western appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1885-18??, 1888-03-24
AN OPEN CONFESSION.
A Reformed Democrat Tells Why He
Joine;t the Republican Party.

Reformed Democrat Tells Why He
Joined the Republican Party.
A Minnesosa Democrat, originally
from the South, has seen the error of
his ways, has repented, and will hence
forth show his change of faith by his
works. His confession appears in the
Minneapolis Tribune. Inthe South he
grew up a Democrat :. by absorption 2
His Democracy was not shaken by the
shotgun policy, and if lie had stayed
below the Mason and Dixon line he
would have remained Democrat to
this day. But the disreputable and
criminal methods upon which the Ames
Gubernatorial campaign was conduct
ed were too much for him. He has re-
pudiated the party for the sake OF his
political manhood, and is henceforth a
Republican. 70 use his own words:
L have been a lifelong Democrat, and to my
friends OF that party have no apologies or ex-
cuses to make for what now have to say. In
the first place confess to an ignorance of the
silence of politics that any Democrat might be
proud of and-I believe if I had continued to re-
side in the South where was raised, J should
always have continued to be Democrat on
the principle that what was good enough for
my father was good enough for me; but as a
citizen OF Minnesota have seen enough to con-
vince me that the policy of the Democratic
party is inimical to the vital interests of the
country, and more especially to this immediate
part OF 1T. Being an admitted ignoramus in
political ethics and an avowed Democrat by sur
roundngs and absorption (the most rigid fol-
lowers OF any cause are those who absorb their
sentiments from eirsurroundings rather than
from logical convictions, it will readily be seen
that something very radically and palpably
wrong must have TRANSFERRED to upset the calm
OF long settled and complacent devotion to the
party OF Jeffersonian simplicity and innocuous
aesuetude. During the campaign of 1885 was
IN position to know very intimately the work
lngs OF the great cause, and regard for
decency compels me to say that I became
ashamed OF my party. In the South 1 have
seen some Of the workings of the "shot-
gun policy" but in justice to nv
Southern friends I will aver that their
methods were respectable compared to those
practiced- by the Democrats of Minnesota q
year ago last fall. was prepared to see much
evil done, that good might come of it, and re-
viewed with complacency the little plots and
schemes in which all elections abound; but
when the saloons and bawdy houses of two
cities were turnedinto electioneering joints, and
all their immoral and corruptlng tendencies
brought to bear on that numerous GLASS whose
ballots are q merchantable commodity; when
the slulce gates of calumny and billingsgate
ana nlth were turned on men whom knew to
be personally pure, and when my own party
put forward a man known to me and all the
public as personally and VIGOROUSLY impure I
began to question whether should submit to
the domination Of partsanship. heard the
public speakers of my own party charging the
opposition with bribery and corruption heard
the leader and candidate of that party state
publicly that he was worth mot to exceed
SlU0 and yet knew that great many thou
sands OF dollars no
political corruption and bribery by the very
man whose eXchequer was so low. saw there
was n inconsistency, but patiently awaited
developments It was surprise to every one
ana L believe If the barrel had held out the
result would have beer still a greater sur
prise IN store for the people, for am sorry
to have to observe there is a large purchase
DleVote in the State. Well, there was great
nue. ana cry OF fraud, and as usual "the fox
was the finder" Now let any calm. nm
preJud ced Democrat view the events of the
last fifteen months and say truly if the Demo-
cratic party had succeeded in seating its can
dldates for State offices" would the country
nave been as well Off as it is? It is fact that
no Democrat ever can deny, that the State is
OBVIOUSLY and by large majority in favor of
The 'Republican party, and if the chicanery
practlced by the shrewd politicians of the
minority party had succeeded the reaction in
public sentiment would certainly have con- |
demned the methods by which the success had |
peen accomplished, and the general dissatis-
FACTION would have been so great as to serious
~ interfere with the harmonious workings of
The machine of State. On the other hand. any
one who has watched the present administra- |
t1on as jealousy as the writer will he forced to
the admission in all candor that it has been a |
most excellent one. No living man is wholly
1ree from error, and l have several times !
thought right had found grounds for seriously |
ooJectlng to the policy pursued by the present |
Governor but in every instance after fully |
awaiting all the developments in the case, T |
nave found that he has picked his way through |
the devious and difficult paths with rare iude- |
ment and tact, and has displayed knowledge |
OF the wants of the people not often found in a !
public man, while his eminent strength of |
character and force of will have served him to |
maintain his official dignity and personal |
sense of justice and right where weaker man |
would have inevitably been swamped by un-
righteous opposition.
TILE