The representative., 1894-02-21
Some Prophecies.
The Democracy.
The Future.

We have no desire to exult over the
tribulations of the democrats. In
fact, so far as Minnesota is concern
cd, we rather sympathize with them,
for the reason that they are, like the
Populists, minority party, and un-
der the harrow, politically. Last fall
q tidal wave of popular disapproval
struck them, and swept over the
country from the Atlantic to the
Pacific, and buried them under over
whelming majorities, where elections
where held, except Kentucky. And
that wave does not yet seem to have
spent its force. On January 3Oth,
two congressional elections were held
In the state of New York, in the
14th and 18th districts; and in the
former the democrats lost $500 votes,
and the latter 1882 votes as compar-
ed with the vote in 1892. This looks
Is If "the animals eyes were sot;"
and the party hopelessly moribund.
What next? When the Wing party
died the triumph Of the republican
party become possible. The camps
broke up and the multitude 1ocked
into the new movement. It looks as
il history would repeat itself, and
that the death of the democracy
would be the opportunity Of the Pop
ulists. Party lines are likely to be-
come more and more geographical
lines; the cleavage being along the
western boundary Of Ohio, and the
southern boundary of Pennsylvania.
The fights on the bond question, the
tariff question, the income tax queS-
tion and the silver question, all show
the democratic party splitting along
these lines of cleavage; the eastern
faction led by Bourke Cochran, of
New York, and the western by that
splendid orator, Bryan of Nebraska.
Not even the "pie counter" as they
call it, can hold these divergent ele-
ments together, especially when
there is not pie enough to go around,
and more especially in the face Of the
universal unpopularity Of the demo
cratic party itself, s-revealed in
these recent elections. Even the rats
leave the sinking ship.
But do the democracy deserve all
the abuse heaped upon them? No
and yes. No; because they are simply
the inheritors of the evil conditions
produced by the republican party,
trucking to the money-power, repre-
sented by Wall Street. Yes; because
Cleveland abandoned the platform of
his own party, and proceeded to fin
ish up the unfinished iniQuity of the
plutOcratic end Of the republican
party. In fact, with bull-headed
stupidity he went beyond them;-he
out-Heroded Herod. The republi-
cans only hampered silver, but still
left a market for Al million ounces
Of bullion per month, with con-
sequent increase of currency. But
Cleveland struck silver down utterly,
and left it dead on the earth; and by
the same blow he slaughtered the
prosperity Of the whole people, pos
sibly for a generation.
What is the duty of the Populists?
To stand by their flag and their guns
to the last gasp; but, at the same
time, to open wide their doors for the
army of recruits, which is coming to
them from both the old parties, es-
pecially from the democrats. The
rank and file Of the western demo
Gratis are at heart Populists. Jeffer-
son and Jackson were the best
Peoples party men that ever lived.
Pure democracy means the govern
ment of the masses as against the
classes. They used to boast of being
"the great unwashed," ""the unterri-
fied,"-the multitude, the common
people. The bulk of them are such
yet; but plutOcracy has captured the
governing end of the machine, and is
running Jefferson's followers in the
interest of nonopolists and bankers
and foreigners; and in doing so it has
decreed the death and absolute ex-
tinction of the democratic party. 1t
is rushing it with railroad speed to
the Hades of exploded superstitions;
and it's followers have to choose be-
tween the republican party and the
Populists. East of Ohio they will
join the republicans; west of it they
will join the Populists. The fight of
1896, will be between the money-lend-
ing and the money-borrOwing Sec
tions; between the region already en-
slaved, and that which is in process
of enslavement; and the Populists
will carry the country; and then will
follow series Of reforms,
radical, but reasonable,-that will
revolutionize the nation and restore
the spirit of l776, and carry mankind
forward to greatness throughout the
whole world. I'D.