Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1894-08-23
The Passing of the Populists.

~ oSSltiS vi bic Spe''SNS'
The recent state elections in Ten
nessee and Alabsma, in which the
democrats we're victorious, present
conclusive evidence that the decline
and fall of the populist party has
set in.
In each of these states there was
fusion between the republicans and
populists, and in each state, COLI
sidering the falling off in the aggre
gate vote as compared with 1892,
the democrats rolled up large ma
jorities.
The populists who were doing
most of the Boosting, predicted a
big leap in each Of these states and
in Tennessee, where the republican
party is vigorous and well organic
ed, the combination would undoubt
eddy run the democracy close if the
popullsts were anything like as
strong as they were in 1892, but the
result shows an easy victory for the
democrats.
In Alabama where the populists
compose the bulk of the Kolb's fol-
towers in 1894 as they did In 1892,
there was a large falling off In his
strength this year.
In the career of this, the latest of
the third parties, historyiis repeat
ing itself. The life of all of them
has been short and their exit as sud
den as their advent. 1t is a law of
their being that they must increase
in a geometrical ratio in order to
maintain themselves at all. They
must grow by leaps and bounds if
they are to assert themselves and
when any slower rate of expansion
is reached the beginning of the end
is 10 sight. The moment the stat
Ionary condition is attained death
Is at hand. This has been the ex-
perience Of all political parties
which, like the populist appealed
to a class and which played upon
the passions and prejudlces of a sin
gle element OF the community.
SUCH parties when they are pow
erfui enough to elect any body, al
most invariably elect men who rep.
resent the worst of the vices and
absurdlties of the organization to
which they belong and thus they
swiftly bring upon their party the
public detestation and comtempt.
Although the populist party roll
ed up more votes in 1892 than any
other of the minor organizations
ever did in a presidential election.
1t is extreamly unlikely to live as
long as the greenback party. That
organization took part In three pre-
sldentlal canvasses, those of 1876, 80
and 81; the populists will hardly.
at the outside, take part in more
than two. There is q chance. in
deed, that their career will be
even shorter than this, for many of
their leaders have been advocating
a change of organization, the alter.
alton OF partisan base and the trans
formation may be effected before
the campaigne Of 1896. But fate
cannot be propitiated in this way.
a change OF name is easily brought
about, but this, at the present time.
Can not involve any important
change in principles or purposes.
The creed of the populIst party
already takes in all the distinctive
political vagaries, ~lunacies and
impurities of the day and these a
hardly be increased in a material
degree in the next two years. Meth
en- the principles nor personnel of
the populist party, or whatever
OIL er name that organization NAV
bear, will be essentially different in
1896 from what they are now, and
have fallen emphaticalls under the
bat OF the public disfavor.-Globe
Democrat, St. Louis, Mo.