The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-05-23
A PROPOSED FUSION.
Owen for Governor and a Demo.
crat for u. S, Senator.

In the Minneapolis Tribune Of May
18th, we find the following:
Senators La Due and Leavitt, two
OF the leading Democrats of the last
Legislature, are at the Nicollet. Both
gentlemen were Outspoken in their ex
presslons OF dissatisfaction with the
action of Congress ON the tariff bill and
with the results that have SO far come
from this administration. They both
placed themselves on record as apprOv.
ing the address recently issued by the
Democratic association, and charac-
terized Senators Hill, German and
Brice as traitors to the Democracy
and Republicans in disguise.
Senator La Due was asked what his
opinion of the report that the Demo
Gratis and POpulists in this state were
to fuse, was. He partially committed
himself to the idea, but expressed the
opinion that unless the present Con-
gress awoke and fulfilled the promises
upon which it was elected, the Repub-
llcans would win, fusion or no fusion.
The senator thiks that if the Popu-
lists can be induced to discard the sub
treasury and government ownership of
railroads plankS in their platform
there will be but little difference be-
tween the two parties. He is in favor
OF fusion on the legislative tickets,
but thought that if Owen should be
nominated for governor and should be
lndorSed by the democrats, that Don
nelly could not be expected to be sup
ported for senator, and that office
should go to Democrat, but to whom
he would not venture to say"
We desire it distinctly understood
that we are not a candidate for United
States Senator or anything else; and
although the influence of Mr.. Owen
was used, at our last Alliance State
convention, to help Fish in his effort
to humiliate and disgrace US, we will
nevertheless Loyalty support him for
governor, if he is the nominee of the
Peoples Party, not for his own sake,
but for the sake of the party and it's
great principles, and the expected
benefits to mankind. But if any such
game, as is foreshadowed by Senator
La Due, is to be carried out, and we
are to send some rOck-ribbed democrat
to the United States Senate, as the
price of democratic support for Mr.
Owen, then we desire to be counted
out" That would be "fusion" of the
wort kind, and would cost us more
votes than it would bring us. Many
democrats are foolishly claiming that
Mr.. Owen is, at heart, one Of them
selyes;-we don't believe any such
story; but if there is any truth in it
then victory, on the lines indicated
by Senator La Due, would mean a gi-
gantic Populist upheaval to elect a
full-blooded democrat to the United
States Senate, and a brevet-democrat
to the governorship. AS Artemus
Ward said, that would be "too much
too much."
We had better keep in the middle
of the road" There is a proverb-''
that sups with the devil hath need of
a long spoon;" and any Populist who
goes to trading with the democrats
will be sure to be euchered by those
astute gentlemen. They are too smart
for common farmers. If the democrats
of Minnesota should initiate their
brethren of North Dakota, Kansas,
ETC., and,-as a choice of evils,-en-
dOrse our whole state ticket, without
terms or conditions, preferring it to
a republican success, that would be
a different matter, to be considered by
our people; but to come to us for a
trade, and say, 1--WE will give you Owen
for governor if you will give us Flandrau
for Senator" would burst us into
thousand fragments.
We are gaining every day while the
democrats are losing. That very bril-
liant and able democratic congress
man from Nebraska, Hon. w. J.
Bryan, has just written letter de-
clining TO be the democratic candidate
for Congress, for reelection, in his
district; and in his letter he says:
eff the presidents financial policy
becomes the policy of the party, do
not seq d4,y reason for The continued erist-
ence Of the party. because the Republi-
cans having followed that foley long
er, are better prepared than we to sup
port it. On the other hand if the
party repudiates Mr.. Cleveland's finan-
cial policy and renews it's devotion to
the common people, it may yet become
an effective instrument in the securing
of good government"
That's the ''nub" of the whole case.
There is no difference between the
democratic and republican policies,
and no reason for keeping both parties
alive. Let the liberty-loving demo-
Gratis come in and help us carry the
state and the nation; let the aristo-
cratic wing unite in name, as they
have already united in heart, with the
republicans.
Stand firm, brethren. Don't desert
your flag and your guns just as the sun
of victory illuminates the eastern sky.
Say to the men who want you to trade
away your birth-right for a mess of
pottage,-"Get thee behind me,
Satan" I'D.
Where the Blame Is.
Congressman Boen has introduced a
bill appropriating $4,000 for survey