The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-10-24


at Austin, as reported in the Cham
pion of that city:
When l first started out on this political
campaign, chairman kindly and in a
good natured sort of a way introduced
me as the next governor of Minnesota"
! thought, of course. he doing that as
"A Joke, accepted 1t as such and SO bore my
blushing honors meekly as 1 could.
After had been canvassing about a week
| was introduced 1.-The future governor
of Minnesota, and 4 confess frankly that
L began to consider it possible. After had
been canvassing" about three weeks l was
introduced as 1.-The next governor of Mime
sofa" and | thought that there a fam
chance perhaps of it's being true. AS l
stand before this magnificent audience, with
its signs of approval, l can say frankly
that | heartily and cordially believed your
chairman here when he introduced me as
the next governor Of Minnesota. Cap
piause) =
This is a republic, 1 believe, at least that
is the way it is labeled; it is a re-
public in name at least. AS thunder storms
purify and make more healthful the at
mosphere we breathe, SO political thunder
storms are necessary to the publication
and healthfulness of the political at:ios-
phere of republic. Those thunder storms
should be only another name for political
revolutions. Political revolutions should be
frequent in d republic The rule of one
party, the existence of one party for a
long term Of years is dangerous. poti-
cal party. after it has lived long enough
for men to be born into and die out of it,
begins to be invested the part of it's
admirers with sort of divinity that should
not attach TO any organization of man.
The partisan who has been with political
party for many years to regard it
as divnely ordained, God-made institu-
ton. 1t is not. God never made political
party. If ne had he would have served
them he did primative man-drowned
them before they became very old. A po-
litical party is merely the creation of man
led by few men, led by men who may
he honest, who may be patriotic, who may
he faithful to the interests of the people,
who may be unselfish, and then the party
possesses the same characteristics. 1t may
be led by men who are not honest, men
who are not patriotic, men who are selfish,
men who are greedy, men who are striving
To advance their own mercenary interests,
and then the party will be similarly COM
pleXioned. few men mould the party
policy and the older a party gets the fewer
it takes to control it, the fewer it takes
TO lead it, and the easier it is to lead it
astray. Easier to do that in an old party
than in a new one, because the old party
is devouty worshped. We say the party
can do no wrong, but there are those
among the number who shape its policy
who can do WOnrg. and the party becomes
wrong. The rank and file of all parties are
good men; they like good government, like
purity i'll politics, love reform, ut they
think they can get a purer government,
better systems, think they can get radical
reforms, or whatever they desire within
their own parties because their parties can
do no wrong. They simply require that a
ticket or measure be labeled Democrat"
or Republican and then they either love
or hate it, according as they are Demo-
Gratis or Republicans
ga hnO 10 ~;e &c
the breaking up of the old party harness,
leaving the people in condition to think
more, to act more citizens and less as
partisans
No political party ought to outlive more
than four presidential terms. three would
be as well or better, because parties are
very much like men after all, only
pure and innocent when they are very
young.
A new political party, new political
power is absolute necessity, and l am
here to try and show you the reason for
the faith that is in me. l say new party
IS absolutely necessary because there are
great reforms demanded there are
great wrongs to be destroyed, there are
great crimes to be atoned for. There is a
great work to be done to bring this govern
nent more in touch and closer sympathy
with its founders. This great work, these
great reforms can be brought about only
through a new political organization be
cause old political organizations never re-
formed anything nor never will.
No reform was ever contaminated except
by new party or organiza ton created for
and devoted to that special work When
Christ came earth, divinely, wisely in
spired, to establish new code of morals
new religion, why did he not go into one
of the old heather parties he found already
organized? He rather preferred to take q
few obscure, illterate men and make then
the nucleus of what afterwards became the
great Christian religion. He knew that the
old organizations, the old parties never re-
formed anything. When the fathers of the
republic wanted independence from Grea,
Britain did they say I'VE must get into
of the old parties over there and bring
them to way of thinking and SO bring
about the contamination of our desires
without organizing a new political party?'
No, those men were wise enough to know
that reforms or great changes We're not ac
complished through old parties; they be
lieved in a new power-a new party, if you
please-in order to accomplish that purpose
that party did it, and it would never have
been done in any other way.
Why did early Republicans leave the par
ty you love? You loved them then just as
you love your parties today, but you found
out that it utterly impossible to ac-
complish your purpose through the machin
cry of the old parties and so you went into
a new party and it accomplished it's work
and slavery abolished. Applause.) Il
you want reform, If you are in earnest
about it, you must let the press tell wha
power. what party that is devoted to tha
reform and then you will accomplish it
Is there anything to be done? Then l have
demonstrated beyond a doubt the necessity
of a new party. and have shown all lovers
of reform, | have shown every patriotic cit
izen that he must get into that new party
if he is patriotic citizen if he is low
ct of reform l contend that we have many
things to reform. A few of them 1 am 60
ing to name. but not all of them, 1 haven't
time. The list is too large to call them by
name in one single evening
First want to call your attention to
one condition in this country which you
are all probably aware of. 1t has been
talked about enough, yet I doubt if very
many Of you realize the full import of it.
realize exactly what its effect is upon bust
ness upon industries. upon the welfare of
the American people, and that
is the Capitalization Of the wealth in the
hands of the few. The centraliZation of
wealth has been rapid and unparalleled
in the history of the world in the same
number CT years In fact, it took Rome 500
years 20 centraliZe it's wealth in the hands
of the few, or centraiize its wealth to
some extent. 1t has been centralized in
this country since the Democratic admins
tration came into power, since 1860, be-
cause this process has been going ever
since that time. 1t is stated, and believe
half the wealth of this country. If this is
true. coupled with the fact that neither of
the Old parties is giving any attention 10
this deplorabt: condition. it justifies the
creation Of new party that will give it
some attention. because 1t is 4 fatal ma
tonal disease. No nation ever very long
survived such condition.: no nation ever