Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1894-10-25
best situated for observing the course

best situated for observing the course
OF public opinion and the shifting Of
political feeling among the masses, that
the Populist strength is already daclin-
ing rapidly from day to day The only
hope of that party lay III fusion. Bat
the Democrats have had enough Of that
dose. Fusion has gone cut of fashion
everywhere. In Minnesota, in the Da
kotas, everywhere throughout the
Northwest, the party has put mp
straight ticket Of its own, aud LETT the
Popullsts to founder in the mire. This
IS the part OF wise party policy and o:
true public spirit. Any decent Demo
GRAFT prefers Republican and any de-
cent Republican prefers Democrat in
office to crazy, law.defying, anarch-
lstlc Populist. The day Of fusion is
over; and as for the Popalists carrying
any state this year outside of the
Rocky Mountain tier, where patriotism
and even love of liberty have been sac
flticed to the interests of the mine own
ers, it is out of the question. In Mime
sofa the party is badly torn up. The
tight between the representatives of
RIVAL candidates for the senatorship and
rival aspirants to the position of news,
paper representative Of the organization
grows more bitter instead of becoming
composed. The latest issue Of Donnelly's
Representative is full OF the foul
mouthed abuse for which he is noted:
but turned this time with as much
energy against his Populist associates
as against the members of either of the
other parties. He roasts Tom Lucas
and y, l.. Macdonald in good shape, re-
CARELESS OF the fact tias the latter is
chairman Of the Populist committee,
and entitled therefore to titular respect.
1t IS impossible, III the nature of
things, that the hoped for alliance be.
tween the farmers vote in the country
and the labor vote in the great cities
can be brought about. Either of these
two elements has bat to stop and think
Ior moment to seq that its interests
are dramatically opposed to those OF
the other. What tie farmer wants is
cheap labo. and high prices fer
agricultural prolucts. Wha5 the city
WorkinG.aan wants is high wages and
low prize $ foc the neccssar:es OF
life. 1t IS as rs rle5s to try to HARMONIC,
these elements as to bring the American
Association OF Bankers and q free silver
convention into line on the money
question. Every farmer in the State Of
Minnesota knows that the II, ost serious
expense to which he is pat i, that fer
the labor required to help him put in
and gatheI. his crops. The wages OF his
help have bee,. rising constantly for the
last twenty to thirty years. They must
be paid III cash. On the other hand
the only source from which he can get
cash is the sale Of his farm products;
and these have been bringing him in
less money year after year Anything
that would increase this tendency must
be simply ruinous to him.
The aim Of the labor unions, on the
other side, is to raise wages steadily in
all employm ents. Their work reflects
powerfully upon farm labor. For,
while the unions them selves do not in
clude farm workers, they establish
scale to which the farmer must conform.
II man feels that, by going to one Of
the cities, he can command certain
daily wage, even as a common daily
laborer, he will not remain upon the
farm unless at least an equal amount is
offered to him. In the fact of the in.
creased wages III cities lies the explana.
ton of the growing scarcity of fam
labor and the decreased profits Of the
farmer. But the mechanic and artisan
is bent upon accelerating this tendency;
while any increase in the price of flour
or beef Or pork OR anything that the
farm produces would be a serious mis-.
fortune to him. No thoughtful man
can fail to preceive that all the antag-
onisms that have been pointed out be.
tween capital and labor are less serioas
than those existing between the. man
who tills the farm and the man who
works in the shop Or factory. It is
these irrecoIcileab,ee elements that the
Peoples party hopes to unite by appeal
ing to ignorance ansl p.ejulice. Bat
the result could be oslIy to make one
faction a cats paw to pull chestnuts
out Of tho fire for the other. The legis
;lation that either asks would be rninous
to the other And as the city element
is the stronger, the better organized
and the more determined, it is that
which would prevail in the end. Every
farmer who votes for the Peoples party
under present conditions may rest as.
sured that he is voting forsc.leaper
farm products and higher prices for
labor OF all kinds; not only farm labor,
but the labor employed in producing
the articles which he has to buy, neces-
stating higher prices for them. Let
him ask any Populist how these con-
fieting principles are 10 be reccnciled,
and give to this branch Of the question
some hours of serious thought before
<lectioss day zones around.