The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1893-11-08
soPs TO cERsERus.

Candidates Opposed to Such Reforms.
"A new party to spring up Free
silver to be the ISSUE" This is the
pith of dispatch from St Louis
outlining the plan for new national
party as an outgrowth of the Pam
American bimetallic convention re-
Gently held there. It is added that a
convention will be held at Atlanta in
December.
I take little stock in this associated
press dispatch. It is probably fake
to mislead, deceive and divide. If the
silver men pure and simple, however,
think they can get up a party on that
issue alone, they must be very simple.
The aid and comfort they have re-
ceived from the populists has not been
because the populist party is committed
to silver as solution of the monetary
evils, but simply because, in compare
son with the gold-bugs the silver-bug
are more constitutional in their claims
and are nearer the light, and silver
helps swell the volume of circulation.
The populist party believes in treasury
notes issued by the government, as the
only sound bank of issue and creator
of money.
Any attempt of the silver men to
make up party on silver alone would
be a laughable blunder. 1t occurs to
me, however, that this is only part of
diabolic diplomacy, ''divide and con-
quer." Seeing the tremendous and
daily, yes, hourly, growth of the popu-
list party in the south and west, the
gold robbers probably fear the election
of populist president and house of
representatives in 1896. Fearing this
they would like to set up two parties
in those sections and thus succeed in
electing either Wall street democrat,
like Cleveland, or a Wall street repub-
lican, like Depew. But they reckon
without their host, that is, the people
everywhere who would see through
such thin skin game. Even if the
silver men were silly enough to be led
into the trap, it would make no differ
ence.
The people in the south and west are
going to vote the populist ticket and
vote it tremendously. Ask Senator
Morgan what his special inside news is
from Alabama He will tell you ''she
will never vote again for Cleveland de-
mocracy."
Already Jones and Stewart, of Ne.
vada, have said that hereafter they
must be counted as populists, hence I
cannot take much stock in the new sill
yer party. Morgan, Bland and Bryan
cannot fail to follow very soon in their
declarations of allegiance to the only
Jeffersonian party in the field-the
populists.
What a sign of the times it is when
the democratic party plumes itself for
with feathers stolen from the wings of
the peoples party!
The Massachusetts, democratic plat
form for the November election con-
tains several direct adoptions of popu-
list ideas and some indirect suggestions
which have glimmerings of populist
common sense. For instance: 1t de-
mands the election of United States
senators by direct popular vote, and as
a corrollary to this, the abolition of
that oligarchic, undemocratic body. the
/
the senate of confrmatory powers. con-
corning gubernatorial appointments
Then, after denouncing the subserv-
iency of the republican senate to cor
porate corruptionists. it demands a
rigid enforcement of existing laws re-
lating to the capitalization of corpor-
atoms and an enactment of further
laws against stock-watering and also
to secure the community full return
for all franchises,
It insists on the right of cities and
towns to employ local self-government
without undue state interference; that
is the right of such public corporations
to own and manage their own electric
light and transportation facilities with
out requiring permission bill every
time, passed through legislature more
or less honeycombed by monopolistic
money. Moreover, this remarkable
democratic document declares itself in
favor of law taxing legacies and sue
cessions, both direct and collateral,
and, strangest of all, it calls for some
plan of referendum by which important
acts of the legislature can be submit
ted to popular vote.
Indeed, were it not for the cringing
to the bankers in the initial planks
of this platform, and the ORR
entail spirit of fulsome adula-
ton and prostration before
that political Juggernaut, Mr.. Cleve-
land, this democratic platform in the
old corporation-ridden state of Massa-
chusetts in the year of grace, 1898, is
one that almost any populist could
stand on without danger to his under
standing or his conscience.
The republican platform in the same
state is equally significant. After
similar soldering with kisses of tho
tVrannical feet of State street, it tries
to make its peace with the people by
declaring IN favor of the legacy tax,
and claiming that this idea first
emanated from a republican governor.
1t also shouts loud for .'better super.
vision and control of corporations" and
a prevention of stock-watering and
closes with this: 1--WE believe in FREE
quent appeals to the people and that
on important matters of legislation,
and under reasonable restrictions,
some proper system of initiative and
referendum NAV be wisely adoDted. esq