Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1894-1895, 1894-12-14
Growth of Populism.

The following from the New y ork
World gives the results of the last cleo
ton, showing the increase of the POpu-
list vote throughout the United States:
The election figures showing the Pop
ulist vote for 1891 throughout the coun-
try makes an exhibit interesting and
! important. 1t completely refuteS the
notion that the Populists have received
their death blow. They were defeated,
it is true, in Kansas and Colorado
states that have been their StrOnghOldS
but they cast 100000 more votes in
1884 than i'll 1892, and a party that
gains more than 81 per cent IN two
years is a force TO be reckoned with.
In the first place, the fact must be
recognized that the Populist defeat in
Kansas and Colorado was a defeat of
Waite and Lewelling rather than of
popullSm. In 1892 the democrats and
pOpullStS fused in Colorado and Kansas.
That the pOpuliSt vote in Colorado
should have increased under these cir
cumStanceS from o4,000 to $1,000 is
far from suggesting that the party is
dead. In Kansas there is loss of
1900, but even SO the pOpuliSt vote
| this year was 5000 greater than the
vote cast in the state Tor Cleveland in
1888.
The largest gains were made in old
democratic states or in the states
i'll which IN recent years there
has been least stability in party rela-
tons, where republicans have abondon-
ed their own party and turned to the
democratic party for relief, and, having
been disappointed with crumbs instead
OF obtaining substantial relief, are now
voting with the new party.
OF the old democratic states the chief
gain OF the popullst5 was made in
North Carolina, their vote growing from
1890 TO loi,OOO. While they were aid
ed by republican votes they did not
have the full strength OF that party, for
the independent republicans run third
ticket. KS the republican vote in 1892
IN North Carolina was about 100000 it
IS clear that the populist vote pure and
simple. must have grown nearly if not
quite b per cent south Carolina be-
came almost wholly populist. in Geor-
gid tbe p0Pu'lSt vote increased oi.000
or more than loo per cent. In Texas ii
grew from lG3,GJ0 % 10000. 1t fell Off
slightly III Virginia, but the party gain
ed footh0ld in Maryland and Dea-
ware. In Alabama the alleged de;ec-
ton OF large part OF the negro vote to
Oates caused falling or or the face
OF the returns.
Ia most OF the fusion states of 1892
The pOpul.st vote fell off. but the popu-
lar unrest and dissatisfaction in the
west which caused the revolt against
the republican party in 1890 and 1892
this year turned, in lis disappointment,
TO the populiStS. In Illinois the pOpu-
list vote increased from 22,000 to 10000:
III Indiana. from 1908 to 5000: in Iowa
where democracy has been slowly grow
ing Tor dozen years, from 2l,GJ0 to ID
GlU: IN Michigan, from 10000 10 2J,0e0:
iii Minnesota, from $4,000 to $500: i'll
Montana, from 1000 to 1900. In Ne
braska the democrats and pOpulists to-
gether poiled $1,000 votes III 1892, but
this year the populists alone polled So
900. In Ohio the pOpulist vote increas-
eel from 1000 to 1900, and IN Wiscon-
SIN, state which the democrats hoped
they had won permanently, from 10000
TO $1,000.
This increase means for one thing
that in the west and south the people
are dissatisfied with both the old par
ties. They have turned from the repub-
lican TO the democratic party without
obtaining relief. They believed the
promises made them by the democratic
party only to find them broken through
incompetent leadership, which was
taken advantage of by German, Brice,
and Smith. And they cannot be won
back until democracy leaders and can
didates are a guarantee that it's pledges
will be redeemed. In the meantime,
populism must be recognized as "a seri-
Gus factor in American politics.