The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1893-06-07
ANOTHER LETTER ANSWERED
The Question Of Harmony or
DiSSenSiOn

The Question of Harmony or
DiSSenSiOn.
One would think that the PROPOSE
tion that ''all who think alike should
work together" is so plain that not
one word could be needed to explain
or defend it. Suppose the Plutocrats
should like me, for a given sum of
money, to destroy, head off, break up,
the peoples party, what would be the
first instruction they would give me?
1t would be this:
divide the party into factions:
encourage them to fight each other;
use the alliance newspaper to attack
every prominent man in the move
ment; club them over the head:
smash them until there is not one
left alive, and then-the party is
dead. Even wild horses, buffaloes,
wolves, wild geese, insects, must have
leaders; armies must have generals:
kill the generals and demoralize the
forces. 1t may be necessary to cham
piOn some one man for a time; but
you can turn upon him and slay him
after you have finished the rest.
Neglect the great principles at stake
and select some one proposition, and
make shibboleh of this, and if any
man will not bow down to it, slaugh-
ter him. Make a Procrustean bed of
one measure, and cut off the legs of
the fellows who are too long for it,,
and dislocate the limbs of those who
are too short for it. In this way you
will substitute single issue for the
whole movement; you get your men
wrangling and fighting among them
selves over details; you drive them
out OF your camp; you strengthen
your enemies; you destroy your party
and you~earn your thirty pieces of
silve1.1"
lis not this true-every word of it?
Now we have valued friend. Mr..
George Mennie, of Hendricks, Lin
coin county, Minnesota, true, faith
full, peoples party man, who has been
SO poisoned by the teachings of a per-
nicious and corrupt villain, that he
thinks, or appears to think, that this
advice of Plutocracy is all right, and
that the leaders and organs of the
peoples party should follow it. He
writes me, under date of May l4th:
lin the January meeting we read
that you have appointed your old
enemies on the most important COM
mittees, and sighted those that have
been your friend from the begin
ming"
What does this refer to? Simply
the appointment of Mr.. R. J. Hall on
the committee on resolutions. Nine
tenths of the rest of the committee
were men who we're not supporters
of Mr.. Hall; and Mr.. Hall was ap-
pointed at the request of members of
the convention, because the Minneso-
ia grain growers association desired
some resolutions passed, in reference
to the state elevator and the investi-
cation of the wheat rings. Mr.. Hall,
Il 90 not say it in any unkindness-
did the cause great harm, in the
campaign of 1890, by refusing to ap-
point upon the campaign committee
any prominent members of the ele-
ment which had opposed the nomina-
tion of Mr.. S. M. Owen for governor.
1t was short-sighted policy, which
probably cost the defeat of Mr.. Owen
and all our ticket. Mr.. Hall did what
Mr.. Mennie would now consider right.
Having the power he ignored those
who did not think as he did. It
was an error of judgment, for have
no evidence that Mr.. Hall is dis
honest man, and | do not believe he
is. Now if 1 had followed Mr.. Halls
example should / have done right? i
had just been reelected president of
the state alliance, unanimously.
There was an element, small mi
nority, in the convention opposed to
me, but they acquiesced cordially in
the decision, of the majority, and
everything was peace and harmony.
If had been a small-minded politi-
clan, simply looking out for myself,
should have used my little power to
stamp every one of those who were
not earnestly my friends, into the
dirt. But | said to elf,-"No;
the cause is greater than any one
man; we must try to harmonize and
SOlidify our forces; we must be toler-
ant of everything but corruption;
Mr.. Hall is an able and useful man:
| if / restore him to prominence he
may, it is true, stab me in the back,
but he may be able to do the move
ment some valuable service; I have
no ambitions to subserve; all person
al hopes are dead in my heart; but
these poor, plundered farmers need
relief; the great cause of humanity is
at stake; we must not divide but
unity; every man who can carry a
musket must go to the 'front.'
And so l put Mr.. Hall on the COM