The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-10-08
THE THIRD PARTY IN THE soUrH.

THE THIRD PARTY IN THE SOUTH
The result of the elections in Georgia
and Florida have settled the fate OF the
Third or Peoples party in the South
Only n few days ago Mr.. Weaver. the
presidential candidate of that party, con-
fdentially predicted that he would carry
those States. and, in fact, sweep them
forever away from the Democracy, ana
vet the Democrats not only carried flori-
da bv $1,000 and Georgia by about ~
OO0-1OOOO more than the usual Demo
cratic majority there-but In Georgia
carried all except about 10 of the l3'
counties of the State and 100 members
Of the lower house Of the Legislature. Z,
No party in the world ever suffered
moro overwhelming defeat, and what
makes the Democratic victory all the
more signal and significant is the tact
that the Republican and Third parties
had effected fusion. This shows tnat
the Democracy of the Empire state are
all-powerful, but it also shows that, as
the Republicans have long had something
OF a following there, and as the he
publican votes were all cast for the
Third party ticket, and as the Demo
cratic majority was even larger than
usual. how very insignificant the Third
Marty really was. 1t seems to have been
nothing but brag and buster, for II the
Republican votes had been eliminated
from it in Georgia it would not have
cast corporal's guard of votes IN the
entire State.
This corroborates what Northern
sneaker remarked a few days ago lie
said that the Peoples party had no peo-
pie in it, but was composed wholly Oh
disappointed Ofiice-seekers, who, hndlng
that they could get nothing from the
other two parties, were making des-
perate effort to attain to office, II posi-
bic. by appealing to the preJudlces OF
the thoughtlcss and ignorant. Undoubt-
edlv this is the truth. Weaver, Field
and Mrs. Lease, together with few
ofice-seekers and demagogues, compose
all there is in this faction, with which,
though called the Peoples party, the peo-
pie will have nothing to do.
Nothing else could reasonably be e1-
pected. for of all the impracticable set
of ideas. or crazes rather, which were
ever conceived, those in the platform Oh
the Third party are the most impractlca-
HE. AS n contemporary truly says, it
sought to gather within its lines all those
voters who were the opponents or p0lltl-
cal. social, economic and financial lsms
and heresieS. and was founded upon
instrumentation, prejudice and mis-
chievous fallacies. Its triumph in any
community would imply nothing more
than lack of popular conscience and IN
telhgence. Its demand for an unlimited,
debased. dishonest. unstable and unsafe
currency, part of which should be dis
tributed among the people as loans
upon perishable collateralS cunnlnGly APP
pealed to the most sordid interests and
prejudices of the ignorant, as well as to
those representatives of the agricultural
and laboring classes whose minds were
filed with discomfort with their condi-
ton. The Peoples party stands in GER
tain of it's demands for Socialism in its
most perverted and dangerous forms, and
its defeats in Georgia and Florida are
distinctive victories for good public poll
CIV. honest finance and conservative gov
eminent
Now that this party is virtually dead
it is likely that complete reaction will
set in, and the chances are one hundred
to one that even the Sherman bill, which
compels the monthly purchase of a GER
tain amount of silver will be repealed.
The Philadelphia Ledger expresses the
opinion that the senators and representa-
tives of the silver gulches, who want to
compel the Government to continue to
buy their merchandise, will, of course,
contend for a free and unlimited coin
age act. but they will be practically TN
supported by their late allies of the
Southern and Western press in their
demands for a debased dishonest and UNI
safe currency.