Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-07-03
Third Parties.

Senator BRicE il reported "a saying That
ne "never knew third parties 10 amount
20 anything" This he said in reply 10
che intsrrogatory what he expected from
fhe Peoples party. It depends altogether
upon the circumstances surrounding o
third party whether il shows any strength
or not. IL is difficult 10 get up third
party whenever there are important ques-
tions proposed for consideration by the
two old parties. The best way in the
world 10 kill of third party is never 70
mention il. 1t is impossible TO organ
re or engineer new party when
ahe people persistently refuse TO consider
the principles il processes or the measures
81 advocates. Get oil the voters 10 talking
nbout Democrats and Democratic princi-
piles, or Republicans and Republican prin-
cipes, and there is nobody left TO make
mp third party. What follows2 Inovita-
bly, the result is that the new party be-
comes q party of cranks, who would Just
as lief speak TO dozen men "a to large
audience, and soon dwindles down to con-
temptible proportions. A party in order
10 be large must get itself talked about"
as Mr.. CARLYLE would say. 1t must claim
public attention. II must he recognized
as an enemy worthy of the steel Of the
leaders of the two old parties.
We had in Virginia in 1880 third party
which received pretty large vote. 1t
drew ITS strength not from the Democratic
side so much as from the Republican side.
General HANCOCK received large plurality
Cf the votes. Tho Mahoneites, who were
disguised Republicans. and the Republi-
cans quarrelled amongst themselves and so
Attracted attention enough to themselves
10 enable both Of these factions to poll a
vote respectfully large. The Democrats
basilv carried the State. however. and not
long afterwards the MALONE faction be-
camo lost in the Republican party. There
was no room in Virginia for third party.
The country knows well the history of
pne third party which was formed at n
lime when the Wing and the Democratic
parties divided the whole vote Of the coun-
Try between them os nearly rs the two
great parties now in existence divide the
whole vote between them. The Republi-
osn party was a third party when II WAS
organized. it was contemplate in num-
bers. For years the voters refused to talk
about it. For years the old Wing and
democratic parties whistled 1t down the
wind. But the stars in their courses y
fought for the Republican party. The
NuMor proviso, the Kansas Nebraska bill,
md the fngitive-slave law wers measures
no important that the old parties could not
keep them in the background. Sectional
r "A kah Af
measures. The northern people, or many
of them, were made TO believe that a
white man in the South cast say two votes
for each one cast by "A white man In the
North This last false notion grew ont of
the constitutional provision that three
dfths of the slaves should be included in
the basis of representation in the lower
house Of Congress.
Here, indeed, was a third party. This
colossal organization. which has for over
thirty years ruled and ruined the coun-
TRY. was in its inception nothing but
third party. and had no more strength
during the first years of its existence than
The Peoples party now has.
So that It is not impossible that the
Ocala platform may figure largely In the
future history of the parties of this coun-
try. The free coinage of SILVER; tho aboli-
tion Of the national banks; tho PROPOSE
ton - lend greenbaeSs to the people; a
graduated income tax, aud various other
measures not now deemed important may
within a fow years so grow in Importance
rs 10 overshadow the questions hitherto
dividing the voters into two great parties.
At present the people refuse to give thsee
issues their attention. They are talking
and working tor CLEVELAND or HARRISON.
They cannot be inducedto divide on other
lines this year