The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-10-17
A M|SAPPREHENSION.
SHOULD WE SECURE THE
STATE TICKET,
And the Legislature. Or the County
Offices,

| OC. IeUer Tribune: DOnnelly asks
Pops to throw away aspirations for
county office and 60 for the Legisla-
ture: This is strategy and impudence
combined. Donnelly is candidate
for United States senator, and is will
ing, anxious, and demands that all else
be sacrificed for the success of Don
nelly.
This is not true. While it is i'm
portant to secure, if possible, United
States Senator, because it is of more
Importance, in the carrying out of the
Omaha platform, than thousand
county offices, nevertheless the possess
sion OF the Legislature is also neces-
sary for other reasons. If we are to
cut down taxation, reduce railroad ex-
actions, abate the interest on money,
eQualiZe the burdens of rich and poor,
break up the Elevator Ring: and effect
a thousand other reforms, we must
have it. We might get possession Of
all the court houses in the state, and
the cause of good government would
not be advanced hairs breadth. Of
course. where the Peoples Party has a
fair chance to elect the county offices,
and the whole ticket, we are in favor
of electing them, by all means. The
profits of the local places had better
go to men who believe in right prin-
ciples. What we meant to say, in re-
cent issue was, that where the Peoples
Party could not get both the county
offices and the state, congressional
and legislative tickets, it was our duty
to concede the county offices to obtain
the others. If the REPRESENTATIVE
had sold out to the Republicans, as
the Great West did in 1890 and 1892,
we should take exactly the opposite
position. We should protest against
any concessions achich acould defeat the
Republicans; and the Republicans
would help us therein. In Hubbard
| county in 1892, and again this year,
| the Republicans and Democrats have
combined to beat the Populists, and
| there the leaders have not word to
say about keeping in the middle of
! the road:' they are ready to take both
| sides of the road and leave the Peo-
pies Party in a mud puddle in the
publicans are combining everywhere
with the PopuliSts. The truth is,
there is a natural tendency for the
two minority parties, whatever they
may be, to unite to defeat the major
| ity party. This does not necessarily
mean 'fusion," but division of the
| offices without any yielding of prin-
| nj,
when the Populists seek the offices
that pay little or nothing, but which
are necessary to carry out the reforms
demanded by their party platform, we
do not see that any true man has any
right to complain.
1t is always good policy to do that
which the enemy does not want us to
do; and we could quote hundred ex-
tracts, from Republican papers, show
ing that they regard any such division
of the Offices, as we have indicated, with
absolute horror. Plutocracy is very
anxious that we should keep in the
middle of the road" and thereby, as
they hope, eject the Republican candi-
dates, and perpetuate the evil condi-
tions which our party was organized
to correct. When the reformers
started the Peoples Party at Cincin-
natl their end and aim was not mere
ly a new political party; it was to re-
form abuses in government by getting
possession of the laW-making power;
and the party was intended to be SIM
ply means to that end. The way to
kill reform party is to SO use it that
nothing can be reformed Very soon
the people weary of fruitleSs efforts
and wrong is entrenched forever. But
there are some who think more of
their church than they do of the God
in whose honor it was erected; and
there are others who worship the
fetish Of a party, and lose sight of the
people for whose benefit the party was
made. We have an example of this in
the history Of the Prohibition party.
1t set up one particular piece of legis-
latiOn as its ultimatum, and if it
could not get that measure it was will
ing drunkenness should rule forever.
The Peple's Party has adopted plat
form which would be-a great advance
on the present condition while
not interfering with the right of the
citizen, as q freeman, to drink what
he pleases; and we had hoped that the
Temperance party would hail this as
a great advance towards saving the
next generation frcm drunkenness.
But no;-they have few leaders who
protest against what they call "fu-
sion," and howl for "thc middle of
the road" and so they put a ticket in
the field which may draw off enough
votes to defeat all practicable reform.
Some Of these men, we are sure, are
honest enthusiasts; but others are in
the pay of Plutocracy to divide the
voters and beat the Peoples party.
What wrong would have followed if
these leaders had said to us: Here
we cannot get what we want. Our
vote is growing less and less every
year. You offer us halfway meas
ure in the line of that which we seek.
We will unite our vote with yours,
and try to improve the condition of
the people"
What would be said of starving
man, who, when offered half loaf of
bread, would say,-''No; 1 want a
whole loaf; and if cannot get that l
prefer to starve to death?" The
| world yvOuld cot that mon 6oup oc m