Omaha daily bee., 1890-09-27
TYING UP WITH THE DEMOCRACY.

That is very interesting political
discovery made by the republican state
central committee Of Minnesota Of a
com bination between the Farmers Alli-
ance and the democrats OF that state TO
defeat the republican state and con-
gressional tickets. The democrats, 1t
appears, figure on polling about ninety
thousand votes while the alliance
people expect to cast between fifty and
sixty thousand. AS the republican vote
is certain to be in excess OF one hundred
thousand the outlook is hopeless for the
candidates of the other parties except
possibly through combination. This, 1T
is understood, has been practically ac-
complished, though the terms OF the
agreement are not yet fully carried out.
1t Is not improbable that the discovery
and exposure may prevent this being
done.
Although Minnesota is the only state
where it has been ascertained that n
formal arrangement or combination has
been effected between the alliance and
democratic forces, the practical effect
everywhere in republican states OF the
alliance movement is to aid the demo-
cratic party In those states the large
majority Of alliance men are republicans,
and it is almost wholly republican
farmers who are identified with the
movement; the democrats remain loyal
to their party. This is the case in Ne
braska. The men who are supporting
the so-called Independent movement
have been republicans, and in taking
this position they are rendering almost
as valuable service to the democratic
party os they would by such combina
ton as sthatreported from Minnesota, or if
they went bodily into the democratic
camp. The democrats of Nebraska are
not likely to attempt to do any such
trading as their brethren of Minnesota.
They have no favors in this direction to
offer the independent candidates. But
they are industriousy encouraging the
movement intended to draw votes from
the republican party without commit
ting themselves to any obligation in the
interest OF the independents should the
democratic party be successful.
1t ought not to be necessary to remind
republican farmers that they have Moth
ing to hope for from democratic success,
and that they could make no greater
political mistake than to contribute
toward the success of that party. There
cannot be cited single in
stance during the past thirty years
Of any serious effort on the
part of the democratic party to do any
thing for the agricultural interest Of the
country, but there are many instances of
its determined opposition to republican
measures for the benefit of that interest.
In thesouthern states, where the farmers
are arrayed against the democracy, their
principal grievance is that the bourbon
administration of affairs has persistently
Disseminated against the tillers of the
soil. The consorting of farmers of the
west with the democracy is a most re-
markable If not an entirely inexplicable
anomaly of the political situation, and as
such it is to be doubted whether it can
be maintained until the day of election.
We do not believe that the unnatural
combination said to have been made in
Minnesota will be countenanced by any
considerable number Of the republican
farmers OF the state who are identified
with the alliance movement, and we are
more confident that the republican farm
ers OF Nebraska will not allow them
selves to be drawn into a practical alli-
ance with the democracy by throwing
away their votes in supporting the inde-
pendent candidates.