The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-12-05
The Growth of Populism.


New York World.
The election figures showing the
Populist vote for 1894 throughout the
country and comparing it with the
vote of the same party cast in 1892
will be found in another column. The
exhibit is interesting and important.
1t completely refutes the notion that
the Populists have received their
death-blow. They were defeated, it
is true, in Kansas and Colorado
States that have been their strong
holds-but they cast 100000 more
votes in 1894 than in 1892, and a party
that gains more than 81 per cent in
two years is force to be reckoned
with.
In the first place the fact must be
recognized that the Populist defeat in
Kansas and Colorado was defeat of
Waite and Lewelling rather than of
Populism. In 1892 the Democrats and
Populists fused in Colorado and Kan
sas. That the Populist vote in
Colorado should have increased under
these circumstance from $4,000 to
$1,000 is far from suggesting that the
party is dead. In Kansas there is a
loss of $4,000, but even 50 the Populist
vote this year was 10000 greater than
the vote cast in the state for Cleve-
land in 1898.
The largest gains were made in old
Democratic states or in the states in
which in recent years there has been
least stability in party relations;
where Republicans have abandoned
their own party and turned to the
Democratic party for relief, and, hay-
ing been disappointed with crumbs in
stead OF obtaining substantial relief,
are now voting with the new party.
OF the old Democratic States the
chief gain of the Populists was made
in North Carolina, their vote growing
from $4,000 to 154, OCO. While they
were aioed by Republican votes they
did not have the full strength of that
party, for the independent Republi-
cans ran third ticket. AS the Re.
publican vote in 1892 in North Caro-
lima was about 100000 it is clear that
the Populist vote, pure and simple,
IS per cent. South Carolina became
almost wholly Populist. In Georgia
the Populist vote increased "a 900. or
more than 100 per cent. In Texas it
grew from loo, 900 to 10000. 1t fell off
slightly in Virginia. but the party
gained foothold in Maryland and
Delaware. In Alabama the alleged
detection of a large part of the negro
vote to Oates caused falling off on
the face of the returns.
In most of the fusion states of 1892
the Populist vote fell off, but the
popular unrest and dissatisfaction in
the West which caused the revolt
against the Republican party in 1890
and 1892. this year turned, in its dis
appointment. to the Populsts. In
Illinois the Populist vote incre ased
from % 600 to 1873, 900; in Indiana from
$4,000 to 10000; in Iowa, where De-
mocracy has been slowly growing for a
dozen years, from 2l,O0O to $4,000: in
Michigan from 20, 900 to 5000; in Min
nesota from $4,000 to $4,000: ia Mon
tana from 1000 to Is 900. In Nebraska
the Democrats and Populists together
polled $4,000 votes in 1892, but this
year the Populists alone polled 50. 600.
In Ohio the Populist vote increased
from $4,000 to $4,000, and in Wisconsin.
a state which the Democrats hOne9
they had won permanently, from 1O,UOO
to q COO.
This increase means for one thing
that in the West and South the peo-
pie are dissatisfi with both the old
parties. They have turned from the
Republican to the Democratic party
without obtaining relief. They be-
lieved the promises made them by the
Democratic party only to find them
broken through incompetent leader
ship which was taken advantage of by
German, Brice and Smith. And they
cannot be won back until Democracy's
leaders and candidate are guarantee
that its pledges will be redeemed.
In the mean time Populism must be
recognized as serious factor in
American nOlificS