St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-01-25
DON'T BIZ CLANS.

Keeping political secrets is a very
difficult matter, as many a politician
has found to his surprise and his sor-
row; and Ii has leaked out that at the
executive session of the Alliance the
platform of the party for this year was
discussed, and 1t was decided to put Mr..
Owen on about the same platform on
which he made his campaign of 80,
dropping all the lsmS with which the
platform of 1892 was saturated.
1t is no secret that the adoption of
that platform, and the PROSECUTING work
for six months preceding the conven-
ton to get the Alliances of the state TO
merge in the Peoples party, was insti-
gated and encouraged by the managers
OF the Republican campaign. They saw
with alarm their minority position in
go; they saw that the lines on which
the Alliance and Democrats were run
ming were conVerging ones, and they
saw that unless the lines were made to
diverge, and that quickly and radically,
they would not be even plurality party.
The Peoples party then incubated
offered them their chance of salvation,
and they utilized it. No Democrat who
had even glimmer of sense of what his
party's principles are could support the
sOcialistic vagaries of Populism, 10 more
than he could the diluted socialism of
Republicanism. The scheme worked
welt for the Republicans, but disastrous
ly for the Populsts.
We beg permission now, at the begin
nj Of 0f 70
its old position, to suggest that even
this course involves sacrifice of en-
ergy, a loss of time and meney, and be-
trays lack of both good judgment and
common sense that will not commend
them to the voters as worthy OF conf
dence. If it Is their desire simply to
build up new party, and by it gain
control of the state, then they might
better either strike out on some new
line OF policy or adhere to that marked
out in their last campaign. This may
take time. for such an effort depends on
convincing a majority of the voters
that the proposed policy is not only pol
itic. but that it is right; and this is a
long and tiresome process, calling for
steady and persistent effort in the face
of recurring defeats. If the purpose is
simply to secure changes in state policy
thought to be desirable and beneficial,
Or If the wish is to make their impact
felt on national politics, then as sensi-
bic men, more anxious to accomplish an
end than to serve the personal ambi-
tons of any man or men craving noto-
riety, they should make use of the APP
planes they find ready-made to their
hand.
or course there is but one way to &C.
complish political results in this coun-
try, and that is through the machinery
of party organisms. They are to poll
tics what the binder is tothe grain field.
or the thresher is to the harvest. No
farmer would feel himself justified in
spending time and money in devising a
binder or thresher to do his work rather
than use any of the old machines ready
made for him, but he would endeayor
to find the machine which would best
do his work among the many made, and
take it. If it failed, he would throw 1t
aside aud try another, and would only
set out to build his own when the others
had been tried and failed.
The GLOBE does not believe that any
party is divine Institution. 1t looks
on them as more OF less convenient de-
vices for the accom- plishment of gov
ernmental ends thought to be desirable
by the voters. They are not ideal con-
trivances, either, and do their work in a
webbing sort of way which is discour-
aging to impatient reformers; but they
are the best human ingenuity has yet
devised, and, at the present time,
the two great organizations offer
the only machinery by which re-
forms stand any chance of gain
ing foothold in legislation. Broadly.
they represent the two opposing views
Of government, its uses and limitations.
which have struggled for control ever
since men advanced for enough out of
barbarism to organize society. The
man who believes that no man should
be compulsorily burdened for the ben
eft of any class of men; who believes
that men develop best under the widest
range of liberty and responsibility, can
find no party that SO fully represents
him as the Democratic. On the other
hand, ne who believes that the power of
all should be used for the benefit of the
few who can convince the governing