The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-04-04
AN IMPORTANT MATTER.
Should our Leaders be Excluded
From Our Deliberations?

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der the caption "Demagoguery," has
this to say:
The past week chairman Taubeneck
has sent to the reform press the fol-
lowing resolution that was adopted,
according to the records, at the
Omaha convention:
No person holding any Office or position
OF profit, trust or emOlument. under the
eminent. including senators, congress
men, and members of the legislature,
state and local, shall be eligible to sit or
vote in any convention of the party. A
copy of this ordinance shall be annexed
to every call for any future convention.
In the absence of information to the
contrary we are left to infer that the
chairman is acting on the principle
that if you would make a bad law
OdiOuS, enforce it.
We are certainly clear in the opin-
ion that this resolution is about the
cleanest cut specimen of demagogue
politics that has been injected into
the party The Omaha convention
met Immediately after the Mime
apolis monStrosity, where interfer-
ence Of federal patronage was carried
to such disgraceful extremes that it
paved the way for an adoption of this
resolution, going to more ridiculous
extreme.
But what does it declare in effect,
and in what condition does it leave
the party at critical times such as we
are now facing? For years, this agi-
tation has been going forward. At
last, in the country here and there
the sentiment has modelled, and ele-
waited some who have fought the I'm
equal battles in the past, to positions
of trust.
Heretofore their counsels and gen
eralship have shaped the policies
that commanded popular approval
and endorsement at the polls. At no
juncture is felt the vital need for
such experience and wisdom as in the
party caucuSeS, conventions, and on
the committees. Yet under this
resolution they, without exception,
are branded as Self-seekers and ia
bOOed from association where hereto
fore they have been honored and re-
spected advisers. 1t is a libel upon
manhood and common honesty, and
should be blOtted from the records of
the convention that passed it in such
haste.
Look about you and see who it bars
from your conventions. Talk about
the "Old Guard!" Who compose your
legislatures that have faced hell to
give you PETER, an Allen, a Kyle?
Are they renegades? Are they spoils-
men and political harlots? Have
they lost their virtue by obeying the
behests of the conventions that
placed them in nomination?
That resolution declares as much,
and we deny that the party is under
any obligations to regard it's man
dates, save and alone in national con-
ventiOn.
On whom do we rely to make a rec
ord for a rallying cry in future cam
paigns? Is it those holding office or
the verdants who feed a party on such
resolutions as the above?
Have those elected to office on the
populst tickets already proved them
selves as the rule, lot of dishonest
schemers? One is not left to any 9TH
er conclusion, hence we resent the
imputation of such tin horn foolish
ness. Our country, district and state
conventions have need for the pres
ence, the cOunSelS, aye the votes of
those whose untiring zeal and rugged
manhood led our cause in triumph to
victory at the former elections. We
object to the application of this fire
brand outside of national politics,
when God knows it will be odious
enough. not to say "rOtten." And we
refer the legality of it's enforcement
to the committee or any body of per-
sons, if the national convention has
jurisdiction over the states, districts,
and counties in matters pertaining
to their local politics? If so, what
has become of your state rights?
We move the resolution be called
in and laid on the table until time
for eecting delegates to the national
convention.
We have no doubt the resolution
referred to was well-meant, and if the
Peoples party was in possession of the
nation, with 100000 office holders, it
would be wise and right to shut them
out of the councils of the party: but
while we are poor, struggling min
GRITTY, to say that if man is elected
to the Legislature, or the city coun-
Gil, or appointed poundmas ter, that
he is unfit to act in national or
state or county or township conven-
tiOn is all nonsense. There is a
world difference between the
man who is selected by his fellows to
represent them in the terrible fight
now waging, and the servile office
holder, holding a fat-job, at the die
tation of some congressman or presi-
dent. When we have been a few
years in power, and have grown cor
rupt,-as we shall, 1t will be all
right to pass such a self-denYing
ordinance; but just now it is like the
youthful Christian church revolving
that Peter and Paul and Mark and
Luke and Mathew and John shall not
take part in any church meeting, but
that Annanias and Sapphire and
Pontius Plate may come in and boss
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