The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-12-11
Weaver and His Million Votes.

Tho Populists are naturally excited and
encouraged by their demonstration OF
numerical strength at the election Of 1892
The Populist view OF the achievement and
the Populist Interpretation Of its signin-
canoe are set forth In detail In the very in
teresting summary Of results printed in
another part Of this paper. In brief. the
claim is this:
Ono million votes In the South and West
for the WEAVER electors,'
Twenty-three electoral votes obtained by
fusion or otherwise:
Five Populst Senators and ten Popuist
Representatives in the next Congress-;
Populist State Governments In Kansas.
Colorado. and North Dakota and greatly
increased Populist representation in the
Legislatures OF these and several other
States:
The prestige of gains and achievements.
indicating that the Popuist party Is des-
tined to become one Of the two great politi-
cal organizations of the country.
This last item Is the deduction Of opti-
mism from the foregoing. The heavy popu-
lar vote for the Populist electors In some OF
the Southern States serves principally to
show that under the conditions existing in
1899 the solid South would have been broken
and its solid electoral vote lost to the
Democracy had not tho Force bill issue
been put at the front. The twenty-three
electoral votes credited to WEAVER In the
West and Northwest separate themselves.
on analysis. into elements in which the
Omaha platform and the specially charac-
terlstic features Of the Alliance movement
sustain subordinate part. Colorado and
Nevada went for WEAVER because they
were for silver. not because they
were for WEAVER. Kansas. Idaho. North
Dakota. and the one vote in Oregon were
gained by the acquiescence Of the Demo-
cratic managers In a scheme OF fusion OBJ
viously to the advantage Of the Democratic
national ticket. WEAvER's proportion of
the vote. either popular or electoral. cannot
be accepted as Q trustworthy measure OF
the growth of public sentiment In the West
IN favor Of the general programme drawn
up at Omaha.
Tho first solid and effective achievement
In the list is the direct gain OF the Populists
In their representation in tho Congress of
tho United States. This means something.
They must have Senators and Representa-
tives II they are ever going to shape the
legislation Of the country; and until they
can lcgislate. or muster sufficient strength
at tho Capitol to force legislation agreeable
to their ideas of public policy. they have
accomplished nothing. Now they turn up
with five Senators. as they believe. and
with at least ten Representatives. as they
have reason to he certain. 1t is a respccta-
bic showing for new party. even il we do not
count the silver Senators as Populists out
and out But as IN indication OF the prob
ablo strength Of the Populists in the Fifty
fourth Congress. or In the Fifty-ffth. as
reasonable assurance OF future progressive
development. tits worthless. We need only
remind the Popuists that their predeces-
sor. the so-called National party. represent
ing the greenback craze. and. In measure,
the dissatisfaction with political con-
ditions that marked the period af-
ter tho counting In OF HAYES. went
into the Forty-sixth House with four
teen Congressman. The Greenbackers and
Readjusters went into tho Forty-seventh
House with eleven congressman. In the
Forty-eighth their strength dropped to
two. The Greenback wave had swept or
and away: the two old parties confronted
each other as before. and the phenomenon
VI poiby III SOuSIcSS, IuuSteElUX
more than a dozen lawglvers. had dlsap-
peared as utterly as IL it had never been.
The same thing is true respecting the
capture. with the aid OF fusion. OF some of
the Western States. Nobody has forgotten
the astonishingly sudden appearance and
subsistence OF the Greenback wave In the
old and conservative New England State OF
Maine. In 1878 the Greenbackers cast about
fifty per cent. more votes than tho Demo-
Gratis. In 1879 the Greenback vote was moro
than double the Democratic. and the cleo
ton was thrown into the Legislature. which
chose Democratic Governor. In 1880 the
Greenbackers fused with the remaining
fragments OF tho Democracy. and carried
the State and controlled It's Government.
Where are the Maine Greenbackers to-day
The two great political organizations In
this country have always been and must