The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-04-17
DOCTOR AMES.
The Old Democratic Champion Re-
nOunces Democracy and Takes
Sides With the Independents.
HE IS INTERVIEW ED AND STRIKES
FROM THE SHOULDER.
minneapolis Times


Ex-Mayor Ames has renowned the De-
mocracy. The man who was the idol of
the Democratic party of the city and the
state to an extent which made him mayor
of Minneapolis three times and very nearly
put him into the gubernatorial chair of
Minnesota, returns to his native heath and
puts himself on record as being at outs
with his party. The doctor does not de-
viate from the style that is common to
him, for in referring to the great political
party in whose behalf he has made thous-
and speeches, he delivers himself of Ian
guage which is characteristic of him. The
reform move SENS to have touched the ex'
mayors heart and sympathies. A good
many well-disposed people, knowing the
doctors burning desire to be mixed up
with things political, where he can COM
mingle with the masses, display his per-
sonal magnetism through the medium of
his famous and familiar hand-shake, and
the other not disagreeable features of
his campaigning, are inclined to attribute
to the doctors sudden coming back to
Minneapolis political design.
If the doctor reaches a political Office,
judging from the way he talked to a Times
reporter yesterday, he does not expect to
do it through the medium of the Democ-
racy.
II am through with the Democratic
party" said Dr. Ames, in about the same
tone he used when he denounced the MIN
nesota wheat rings years ago. 1.-The party
is rotten I am no longer a member of
party which has so completely deserted the
n Of ho nal tV
the Republican, is not much better. But l
never had any love for the Republican
party. l never saw political parties so un-
shipped in my life as they are in the East.
There is absolutely no Democratic party in
the Eastern states. The old parties are be-
ing managed and manipulated by rings.
These rings have to be smashed.
1.-The people will soon rise in their might
and accomplish the work. When the best
people all over the country take more of
an interest than they have taken in poll
tics, the country will be saved. That the
good men, the business men, of the larger
cities, are waking up, is shown by the way
they have rooted things in New York
that hotbed of political corruption. Mayor
Strong is splendid man. He is going
right ahead, in manly and fearless way.
He takes as advisers the best men in the
city. He fears nothing. He has nothing
to fear, for he has the business men of the
corrupt machine, Tammany, is on the run.
The people who started the animal running
are not going to let up in the least. Tam
many has ruined the whole Eastern coun-
try so far as the Democracy is concerned.
Senator Hill has led forlorn hope. There
is no chance of his amounting to anything,
at least as far as presidential candidacy is
concerned. He may go into the Demo-
cratic national convention next year with
his own state behind him. I think it is
likely the machine can accomplish that
much for it's chief manipulation. The action
of the last congress has thoroughly dis
gusted everybody. 1 had hoped that under
the leadership of Cleveland the party would
pull itself together. Instead, that con-
gress, chosen by a big majority, came up
and went all to pieces. Altogether it was
the poorest excuse for a supposedly intel
ligent and deliberate body that has dis
graced the pages of American politics. The
public schools are turning out free thinkers
in the political line. The young voters of
the country will help very much to save
the country from men who have no other
business in the world but that of holding
Office. These men are no good on earth ];
neither are they in heaven. The spirit of
independence is growing, and that is es-
pecialy the case in the East. The complete
routing of the Democratic ring in Chicago
also a good thing. That ring was
working up to be an imitation of the greater
but not much more corrupt ring in New
York
thereafter, I am an independent, and
in the fullest and strictest sense of the
word l am certainly not Democrat in
the sense of being willing to act according
to the dictates of the party lash the
great horde of political manipulators and
corruptionists who appear to be in control.
If had been in New York at the time of
the election would have voted for Mayor
I Chic0
ago l would gladly have voted with the