The herald., 1894-08-17
THE IcoNoCLAsrIc BALLOT BOX.

lar election IN Am6TlCh anu 0iu0W 0Hos
Five years ago in France they held one
in which the fate Of republic hung
trembling in the balance. That gor-
geous military magpie, Boulanger, WAS
q candidate for the legislature from NO
less than four different districts, his
aim being the restoration of the Bona
partists to the throne of France. The
patriotic Frenchmen jumped on him
like pile.driver. They sat down on
him like the traditional government
mule kicks, with all four shoes on ono
foot" The story of his discontinue
and suicide on the grave of = courtessn
is portion OF the history of the worlds
second great republic.
The most recent demolition Of plaster
busts comes from the old state of Ala
bams, whose distinctive ind ustry is agri-
culture, quite as much so as manufact.
uring is the standard prop of Rhode
Island. A state election was held there
on the b inst. and the Populists were
'routed horse, foot and dragoons." as
the Irish major reported to his colonel
on certain occasion. Now, the Popu-
lists have posed for five years as the
farmers party, and if there is an agri-
cultural state in the union that state is
Alabama. Take the census OF that state
and divide it by the total population OF
her several towns and cities, and you
will see that Alabama's town population
is the least significant of any American
commonwealth. Yet the greatest re-
versal of public opinion at the ballot
box occurred not in the towns OF Ala
bama, but in the ''trooly rooral dee
stricks" of that state, showing conclu-
sively that the farmers themselves were
more intelligent than their seli-consti-
tuted leaders.
A similar condition OF political
affairs was also perceptible in the re-
turns from Oregon in June. although in
less degree. The decline in the
Populist vote Of that state, which
is nearly as much an agricultural COM
mon wealth as Alabama. having but five
mining counties out of thirty-six, was
not in the cities of Portland. Salem, AL.
bany and Astoria, but in the unmistak.
ably agricultural precincts Of North
Ysmhill. Scio. Long Tom and Cottage
Grove, all peopled by the pioneer ele-
ment that lives on bacon and cabbage
25O days in the year. They had sense
enough to see that the men who have
time enough to 90 about setting up Pop
:-k S.ts 10 nj
tions with agriculture. Marion Cannon
was fair specimen OF the professional
Populist, and spent five days in discus.
sing the bargain-counter politics OF Ven
tura for every one that he stood between
the handles OF q plow. His class OF
needy mercenaries are today getting
their severest rebuke at the hands of
the primary producers of the land, and
it is pre-eminently fitting that such
should be the case.
1t was no merely local question in
either of the states referred to which
turned the tide OF bsllots into channels
other than that of population. For
years the Populists have totally ignored
the cities, and have carried their cause
to the tillers of the soil, who stood by
them manfully in 1890 and dropped
them four years later when they were
found to be undeserving of confidence.
Alabama has simply followed in the
footsteps of our sister on the north
coast. 1t shows that it did not take the
farmer long to reach the joint of the
fowl he was trying to carve. Looking
over the Populist leaders Of Kansas, the
cradle Of that party. we find no farmer
in any place OF distinction. except the
state treasurer. PETER, an editor, was
sent to the senate; Lswelling, q town
boomer OF the most unscrupulous sort,
became governor; Briedenthal, . small.
potato bank official, was made lisuten-
ant governor; and in the entire Popu-
list delegation elected to congress there
was not q single man whose vocation
was that Of q farmer.
The passing of the Populist party
may not be a pleasing picture
to pinchbeck politicians OF Can
mons stamp. but we fear it is
Ca1o IA WhiIA thCy WALL Ahv0 "
stand up like the pupils of Wackford
Squeers and take their regular dose OF
birthstone and molasses. Now we do
not pretend to say that farmers quail
ifications for Office are any better or
more abundant than those of o lawyer,
on editor or surgeon. But the story OF
1890 shows the farmers of the Sunhower
state to have been followers rather than
leaders in the march Of Populism. The
grangers OF Alabama, warned by their
example, declined to march in that wav
and went back to Democracy, like the
prodigal son, who went home because
every other place was shut up.
The lesson OF the Alabama election is
wholesome one for the reason that it
shows that, whatever the farmers OF that
state lack in the way of education, they
certainly lack nothing in the way of
shrewdness and sagacity. Alabama has
stood up manfully for the per-
petuation OF American ideas and
repudisted soclslistic innovations in a
manner which demonstrates beyond
cavil that the blood of revolutionary
aires is not yet run out. It speaks vol
umes for their intelligence, as we'll as
for that of the Wsbfoot grangers to the
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