Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-23
ITS FATAL BLUNDER.
That's What Chauncey Depew Says
the Alliance Has Made
IN ORGANIZING A THIRD PARTY.
The Weakness of the New Movement Is in
the Southern States,
WHERE DEMOCRACY WILL STILL RULE
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE D1sPArcH.I

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPATCH.l
NEW YORK, May 22.-Dr. Chauneey NJ
Depew was asked for his views regarding
the organization of the new Peoples party,
so called Mr.. Depew seemed very willing
to give his opinion. He said: 'T think
that the Alliance has made its fatal blunder
in organizing the third party. The Farmers
Grange, and also the Alliance, in the social
economy and helpful aspects to the members
and the orders, were most admirable and use
full organizations. They had the power and
the strength to compel from both the great
parties substantial recognition or an adop-
tion of many of their views, and in such a
way as to lead to favorable legislation by
almost unanimous consent.
'Now, however, they can only win by
electing majorities of their own people to
the Legislatures of the State and to Con-
gress. They naturally antagonize both par
ties. The struggle of each party will be to
deplete their forces by drawing individual
members back to old affiliations. BY fight
ing both parties they will neither demand
nor accept terms from either, and so their
reliance for the legislation which they wish
they elect
The Lesson of Government.
'The history of representative govern
ment teaches no lesson so clearly as that the
country will be ruled by one of the two
great parties, one moving upon conservative
and the other upon liberal lines. As the
liberal party becomes so radical as to alarm
people who have no strong party affiliations,
the conservatives come into power. AS the
conservatives hold back so successfully as to
threaten dry rot, the pendulum swings to the
other side through the agency of this same
unafhliated vote.
''The liberal party will always be three
fourths of the time in power if it has any
competent leadership, because the tenden-
cies of the age are to progress and develop
ment. A particular class in the community,
whether they be engaged in agriculture and
want special legislation for their calling, or
in industrial pursuits of any kind and want
special legislation for their interests through
tag Farmers Alliance, trades unions, agri-
cultural conventions, labor conventions, ed
ueational conventions, or social reform con- q,
ventions, impresses upon the liberal party
always certain portion of its views.
No Glass Legislation Possible.
'fNo one class in community can expect
to have all the other classes and occupations
give their time to legislating especially for
them. When, however, one particular ele-
ment threatens the conservative party with
destruction, and says to the liberal party,
we are in a life and death fight with you to
take your place, then comes brilliant ex-
hibition Of the upper and neither milestone
act.
''The fatal weakness of the party formed
at Cincinnati as national party is that in
the Southern States, where it has the
greatest strength, its members, in Presi-
dental election, will vote the Democratic
ticket. The negro scare will be brought to
the front and worked more effectively on
them than it does upon timid Republicans,
because it is the bugaboo which they have
been accustomed to run from, in every
election, until it has become a confirmed
habit, and the only asylum that has yet
been opened to them from the specterist
Democratic party. - ------
Not Dangerous Party.
sDThe vote of the third party will be found
only in the Granger States. As force to
enter into the calculations of politicians, of
course, there will be scattered votes in every
State, but not enough to shift or
endanger the balance of power as it already
exists in those States. 1t is fortunate for
the Republican party that the new party
has been started so early. 1t gives an op-
portunity for an educational campaign.
'grhe question which will present itself to
every member of the Alliance in the States
where the Alliance is strongest will be this:
The members of our organization in the
Southern Democratic States will all vote
the Democratic ticket. Now, shall we
practically vote the same ticket by endan-
gering the Republican success in our
States?' In other words, the practical
question which will present itself to the
voters, who are an unusually intelligent
body in this new party, will be whether
they can be used by shrewd manipulators as
a side issue to help the Democratic circus"