Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-12-16
WILL ropuLlsu BE PopuL,Ri


Wheth or or not the lusty young
political movement known ms ,ne
Populist or the Peoples party has
come upon the American stage to stay;
whether, In fact, II has now feacneu
its highest limit OF success or IL Just
emeraIpg from ib swaddling cloths,
equipped for long, strong hght
against conteniing elements, there Is
no doubt that II has achieved during
its brief career wonderful success anu
prestige aud is believed BY many OF
the most sagacious politicians OF
the day to DO the lion IN the path
Of both the great parties In tho nation.
That its adhercnts should feel eiated
over It's successes In the late election Ia
not strange. For tho Weaver electors
q million vot es were cast Ia the Wet
and South, and In tho latter section
this total would have been enormously
increased but for the shrewd Demo-
cratic tactics which threw the "Force
bill" prominently as Rn issue to the
fore, and brought the wavcfing solid
South firmly back into line. This
million or more OF votes yielded the
following results Twenty-six cleo
tornl votes, 1--WE United States
senators TO be elected ~ Populists or
by Popu list votes, ten members OF the
House Of Representatives, the state
governments In Colorado, Kansas aud
North Dakota, aud n greatly Increased
representation Ia the legislatures Of
these and several other states.
The leaders OF the movement may
well feel graiifed at 30 stupendous n
showing at time when every con-
dition seemed No unfavorablo 10 third.
partyism; aud they have excellent
reason for the belief that even these
results do nos represent the
full measure OF their strength,
II tested under circumstances where
tho people would not DO sweryed
from their sincere preferences by the
compilation to choosp what they could
at best regard as but the lesser Of two
evils. The vitality Of the movement,
however, Ia another matter. Has II
the souniness Of principle, the coher'
ence Of policy, the cohesion OF cle'
ments that would make Its platform
the ralIying ground " the disaiiectcd
OF both the other parties? Rips as Is
the moment for the disintegration Of
the old organ iz,tions, tho abandon
ment OF old Issues. and the evolution
OF new questions Of social, industrial
and economic pollty, ID II
at all certain that the time
Is equally propitious for the Populist
doctrines to ind acceptance by those
who are seeking u new light for their
political pathway?
wcdo not think so. any more than
we think tho recent triumph Of the
Democratic party Is nm evidence that
In It's policy the country will find
cure-sll for every political evil. The
Wholesale desertion from the ranks OF
RspublIcanism, which formed 80 strlk.
Ing feature Of the late campaign, is
In our opinion only the prelude
TO a like desertion from the ranks OF
Democracy whenever n political creed
shall be evolved that comes In nearer
touch with the popular heart and aims
at higher ideals and greater perfection
In government. To say that the fight
will DO maintained by tho old parties
along the old lines Is manifestly nh.
surd, since we have today thousands
Of free.traie Republicans ani thou.
sands ofproiection Democrats. To say
that the tariii, higher or lower, will be
the great issue offuture national contests
requires n hardihood that few politi-
clans are possessed OF, since after
all II amounts TO little more
than the difference between tweedle-
dunn and tweedle.dee. II Is not un.
likely that silver may lbe great Issue
In the next campaign, aud II ~
the Populists would have the prestige
OF having already championed the
cause. But to believe that either the
Republican or the Democratic party
will survive the century unless
radical changes In policy are made, IL
species Of partisan optimism seldom
exhibited; while to think that the party