The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1892-02-05
Mr.. CRISP's ELECTION.
It Cannot Be Considered in Any Sense q
Victory For Alliance Principles.

democrats participated in the speaker
ship. caucus in disregard of the resolu-
ton of the supreme council adopted at
Indianapolis demanding an opposite
course, though we confess we did not
share in the surprise. 1t has been our
belief land this recent experience con-
firms it, that man elected to any posi-
ton as democrat or as repub lican,
though ne may be designated as an ALI
ance democrat or as an alliance repub-
lican. will be democrat or a repub-
lican, pure and simple, in his official acts.
We saw an example of this in the
South Dakota alliance republican legis-
lature in 1889. We saw another very
striking illustration of it in the alliance
democratic Legislature of Georgia in
1890 We saw another shining example
of it in the election of speakeraof the
house in the present congress. While
the prefix, alliance, placed before the
true title of democrat or republican
may be very ornamental, it's utility is
without demonstration up to the present
date. We might cite other instances Of
failure in the line of duty of this class
of alliancemen were it necessary to
consume space in doing so. The reader
will very readily recall them.
We regret to see that the National
Economist deems itself under obliga-
tons to attempt to justify the disre-
gard of the Indianapolis resolution by
alliance (?) democrats in the contest for
speakership. 1t assumes very COM
placent, self-satisfed attitude, and
glorifes both those who proved true to
their trust, and those who proved true
to faction of the democratic party.
Concerning the great triumph (?)
claimed in the election of Mr.. Crisp, the
Economist says:
''There is no Disgusting the fact that
the great fight of the people up to date
has been to obtain recognition of the
fact that the finance question is an
issue. The managers of both parties
have, by every possible MEANS avoided
it and sought to confne the issue to
strictly tariff fight. There is danger to
the special privileges of concentrated
wealth in a money fight that does not
attend a tariff fight, and it is the effect
Of those very special privileges that is
goading the people TO throw off the
yoke of financial oppression. The
bosses of each party are afraid of the
other on the money question. The peo-
pie have presented and demanded the
only just position on that great issue.
The bosses are afraid of that because it
will offend concentrated wealth, and
thereby destroy the possibility of mil
lions for the campaign fund.
Neither the democratic nor the re-
publican party has a financial policy or
history that can stand before the in
telligent demand of the people to-day.
1t is a complete rout of the bosses for
it now to be recognized as the issue by
the defeat of Mills. y
Inasmuch as it is an indisputable fact
that the combined corporate power of
the continent supported Mr.. Crisp, we
confess our inability to share the
opinion of the Economist. We confess
a lack of that far-seeing penetration
necessary to enable one to see, in the
result, the tariff and all other tenets of
the democratic gospel relegated to the
rear and the money question so promi-
nently brought to the front. Has Mr..
Crisp been so conspicuous an advocate
Of monetary reforms as to justify all
this gush over his election? If so, then
has the fact escaped our observation.
Perhaps our esteemed contemporary
can point few instances of his patri-
otic and disinterested devotion to the
reforms demanded in the Ocala plat
form.
There is one central thought in this
connection to which we invite a mo-
nents attention. Free coinage of sill
yer, while it is one of our demands, is
Of minor Importance. The increase of
the currency to $50 per capita or up
wards is not the essential feature in
our demands These measures would
fail to bring relief to the country if one
other would be neglected. The power
TO issue money and control its volume
must be taken from corporations and
restored to the people, where it consti-
3utionally and rightfully belongs, or all
ire aud farce. Is Mr.. Crisp commit
ed to this fundamental change in our
monetary policy? Perhaps the Econo-
mist may have information upon this
subject not accessible to the general
public. If the triumph of candidate
Of the combined corporations of the en-
tire country affords any encouragement
to hope for a contraction of their pow
ers we fail to perceive the indications
Of it.
What then does the election of Mr..
Crisp really mean? In our judgment
It means the temporary triumph of one
faction of the democratic party over
another. 1t has no significance what
ever in relation to any of the alliance
demands. The participation of alliance
t?) democrats in the caucus simply
demonstrates what we have always
maintained to be true, that a man
elected either upon the democratic or
republican ticket, no matter though he
owes his election to alliance votes, will
Invariably be true to his party and not
to the alliance. 1t demonstrates that
the only hope of the people of securing
recognition of their demands is to
separate themselves from the two old
parties and unite in independent poll
tical action. Not until they do this
will they secure representatives. who will
maintain their independence, keep out
If old partv carcuSoS and nrOvo fr11o