The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1892-10-21
THE PEOPLES PARTY.
Southern Democratic Papers Getting
Frantic Over the Prospects.

Southern Democratic Papers Getting
Frantic Over the Prospects.
The Baltimore san. a straight
laced. rock-ribbed Democratic organ.
in a late editorial on The Uncertain
Factor in the Presidential Election.
after justifying the Peoples party in
Republican States, and admitting that
Democratic rings and boss rule in
Democratic States affords some ex-
cuse for it's appearance there sums
up the situation as follows:
so. without sufficiently weighing
the crudity and impracticability Of
many of the plans and ideas of the
new party or properly mistrusting the
heterogeneous and demagogic char
acter of its leadership and organiza-
ton. many honest men and good
Democrats. it may be. have temper
arily transferred their allegiance in
some of the Southern states to the
Peoples party. so-called. To open
the eyes of these voters honest but
deluded and to win them back to the
firm ground and straight path of
sound Democratic principles is the
most important work which the Dem
ocratic party in the South has before
it. Whether that work can be sue
cessfully accomplished without purg-
ing the party at the same time
OF some OF the abuses which have
estranged so many of its former mem
bers and without unloading some Of
"a hr,rI in ha oh ~ roll
and ''bosses" selfish. self seeking
and self-constituted who are respons-
ible for the detection of these men,
bers is also question which should
be promptly taken up and fearlessly
met 'Old hunkerism'' is the canker
to be dreaded in all the old Dem
ocratic states. Freed from that vice
and reproach Democracy would have
nothing to fear from any new party
or succession of new parties which
base their existence and hopes of
success solely upon the failures and
shortcomings of existing parties
The above is more noteworthy for
what it does not say than for what it
does say. It admits that many
honest men and good Democrats in
the South have cast their lot with the
Peoples party. but confines it's efforts
to win back these honest but
deluded' voters to Democracy by in
sinuating that the new party is of a
Heterogeneous and demagogic char
acter in its leadership and organiza-
tion." 1t has not a word of specific
commentator of its own party to
offer. On the contrary it plainly con-
dennis the 'Old hunkerism'' and
rings and bosses with which it is
infested.
The Economist kindly suggests to
the Sun that a more effective way to
win back straying Democrats would
have been to come out strong in an
editorial showing what their party
has done in the way of redeeming its
promises. 1t might have shown how
splendidly magnificent and persistent
were the efforts of the late Demo
cratic house to repeal the Mckinley
law" according to promises made in
the campaign of 1890.
1t might have shown how sturdily
and steadily and triumphantly the
Democratic house refused to be in
weighed into schemes of extravaganza
lest the people might conclude they
were no better than the Reed Nc
Kinley billion dollar congress" was.
1t might have shown that the Demo-
cratic house, mindful of the Demo-
cratic promise for free coinage of sill
ver passed a bill carrying into effect,
as far as 1t could. this promised leg
islation. 1t might have shown that
all these courageous and determined
efforts Of the Democrats to redeem
promises were frustrated by hide
bound plutocratic Republican senate
and president. Its editorial might
have been written on this line.
Why was it not? Principally per-
haps, because the Baltimore iuminary
would not care to stand pilloried be-
fore the world as the most conscience
less liar that ever existed. It is be-
cause the action of the Democratic
party has been such that truthful
organs can find nothing in them to
commend that papers like the Sun
are reduced to the subterfuge of pre-
pairing vague charges against the
heterogeneous and demagogic char
acter'' of the Peoples party leaders.
And. it is because the acts of Demo.
Gratis in powor have steadily and
unblushingly given the lie to every
promise made. that southern Demo-
Gratis have come to have no more
confidence in their parties than
northern Republicans have in theirs.
1t may tickle the fancy of Demo-
cratic organs to believe. or at least to
assert the belief that their party in
the South is not hurt much by the
Peoples party. and that there is no
little principle at stake that the only
detection which exists there is occa-
stoned by the power of bosses and
rings but the real truth is that South
ern farmers are suffering from mis-
legislation the same as Northern
farmers and that the utter refusal of
Democrats in congress to attempt to
do anything for them is responsible
for the rapid growth OF the Peoples
party in that section. There is a big
surprise in store for the politicians in
the coming campaign. and the least
part Of it will not come from the vote
in the South.
Deceptive Election T.fckets