St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-11-23
THE BALANCE OF POWER.

Il
The Farmers Alliance, as is now
openly conceded. will be represented
in the next legislature by enough men,
beers to prove quite an etfectual balance
of power in shaping legislation in Mill
neSOta. In this connection it might be
well to glance at their political position
and their political relations to the two
other parties in the legislative triangle.
While the success Of the Alliance in
Minnesota was not so favorable to that
element. nor so surprising to Republic
an leaders rs it was in Kansas and Ne
braska, the coming session Of our legiS-
lature will demonstrate the fact that
most respectable element of MinnesOta's
citizens is in Il position to demand GER
tain concessions, and the privilege of
being heard, in the name Of the Farmers
Alliance. They have won this privilege
at the ballot box. Now the principal
tenets of the Republican party are, to-
day, i'll direct antagOnism to those of
the Alliance. Examine the various
state platforms of the two parties
and mark the wide divergence
of principles. In no important
political fines do they run par
allel. During the campaign just
closed the bittereSt enemies of the ALI
ance were Republican orators and Re
publican newspapers. Since the cleo
ton the same newspapers are either
edltorially sarcastic or edtorlally con-
temptuOus i'll their treatment of party
that in Minnesota polled $4,000 votes,
elected one congressman III strong
Republican district, placed a new force
in the legislature, ana, in fact, congress
sionaily, divided honors with the once
great controlling political power of this
state.
On the other hand, comparison of
Democratic and Alliance issues will
show much in common with each other.
To all leading Alliance principles Re-
publicans are radically opposed. Yet
many of these issues were fathered by
the Democratic party years ago. Espe-
cially is this true of the tariff question,
the most important of all. In their
hearty denunciation of Doodle methods
in our state politics Alliance members
will find, as they have in the past found
the coming session the old Republican
antagonism to the Alliance will not be
left outside the doors of the state capt.
toll. They have gone too far-they
have committed themselves to a war
poll cy which cannot be patched up by
temporary truce for the sake of
political eXpediency. The war will be
carried onto the floors of the house and
senate. Traps will be laid. and all eff
forts, honorable and disilonorable, put
forth to weaken the Alliance power, to
confu sc its purposes, to sap its vigor
and dissipate its influence. Forewarned
is forearmed, and already Mr.. OWEN
has come forward with some significant
words of advice to the new legislative
force.
1t is, in the light of past events, safe
to assume that the old illusions to
voting cattle" and the 'bed-rock price
of a granger" will be heard from Repub-
lican leaders and Republican lobbyists.
1t Is in view of the present condition
that the Alliance members of the next
Legislature have it in their power to ac-
complish the greatest good for their
party. AS Alliance men in name they
will, undoubtedly, ally themselves with
that party in which they find the hearth
est sympathy for their legislative OBJ
jects. In many instances they can do
this with no sacrifice of principle by ac-
cepting the aid of Democratic votes.
The balance of power means the power
to force legislation into those channels
most valuable to themselves. In watch
ing boodlers their attention will, neces-
sarily. be attracted more to the move
mentS of Republican members. This is
a sad, but truthful assertion. But upon
important questions vitality affecting
agricultural interests. Alliance men,
beis will seek to strengthen themselves
by honorable combination with that
party whose principles are nearest i'm
line with their own. If the Republican
party has ever exhibited such symptoms,
it has not gone on record in the columns
of Republican journals.