The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-05-01
SOCIALISM AND P0PUlISM.
WHERE THEY AGREE AND
WHERE THEY DIFFER.
We Must Keep Our Platform Plain
and Simple and Within the
Bounds of Possibility.

different from the province Of ma
tional party. 1t is the duty of the first
to stand by the right, regardless of all
consequences. The greater the public
prejudice against its opinions the
clearer is its duty to try to educate
the mass of the unthinking into just
views. 1t is an educator. That is its
function;-that is its solemn duty.
A national party is, on the other
hand, an organization, the members
Of which believe that certain doc
trines or principles, put into law,
would help increase the security of
the government or the prosperity OF
the people. But it can accomplish
nothing unless it is able to get hold of
the law-making power, for all reform
must come in the shape of law. A ma
tional party which says "the welfare
OF mankind requires us to obtain
power" and which, at the same time,
puts itself in such position that it is
impossible for it to gain power, is an
absurdity. It is gun that wont
shoot; a machine that won't work:
an organization that purposely de-
feats itself.
In many cases men form an attach
ment for the party itself so blind and
unreasoning that they cannot remem-
Der the object for which the party was
formed. They make the worship
greater than the God" This is the
case with the devoted followers of the
two old parties. nowadays, who, out
Of old-time affection for things past,
cling to them. to their own undoing.
They are like man who, going out to
fight duel to the death. should in
sist on meeting the improved Win
chester rifle of his adversary with the
old fiint-lock Queen Anne musket his
great grandfather carried at Bunker
Hill. His devotion would be beauti-
full but it would cost him his life.
The great duty of party is to en-
phasize those things ON which all the
members are agreed; and put aside re-
spectfully, for the time being. all
those on which they are not agreed;
for the first tend to unifcation; the
second to disintegration.
Read the following report of a Peo-
pies Party convention held the other
day in Chicago:
Free silver and socialism contended for
supremacy at a conference of the Peoples
Party leaders Of Cook county last night,
and socialism won the fight.
The battle was bitter acrimonious and
personal one, and at times gave great
promise of resulting in a physical contest
as lively as the war of words which
brought forth the Marquis of Queensberry
demonstrations. On two or three occa-
sions there were from 40 to so excited men
on the floor at once, shouting, gesticulat-
ing and shaking their fists in each others
faces; again it would take the efforts Of
half a dozen of their cooler friends on
either side to prevent some more than
usually belligerent pair of wranglers from
settling their dispute by blows.
The meeting was held at 50 Lake street
and about $50 representatives of the party
were present Charles Dold, of the Cigar
Makers Union. presided. The call for the
conference announced that it's object was
to discuss the best means to be employed
in campaign of education to further the
aims of the Peoples Party in the interim
before the next campaign. A general invi-
tation was extended to all committeeman
all candidates and others who had worked
for the success of the party to attend.
The socialists came prepared to capture
the meeting with sort of pronunciamento
which set forth that the money question
was a paltry matter in comparison with
the great question of the collective owner
ship of all the means of production and
distribution by the people who WELD these
agencies.
The racket started almost before the last
sentence of the paper had been read. Half
a dozen Of the socialists were on their feet
in an instant with motions to declare the
statement the sense of the meeting. Dr.
II. S. Taylor moved to lay 1t on the table.
Then everybody present seemed to try to
speak at the same time. The socialists
cried Coward" Its not fair" You're
afraid to discuss it," and hurled similar
epithets at the conservatives. Finally a
rising vote was reached, and Secretary
Grimes. who is socialist, announced the
Taylor motion lost by vote of 80 to g.
The socialists cheered and yelled while the
conservatives cried fraud and demanded a
recount. Men became excited and for a
while pandemonium reigned. The conserv-
atives threatened to withdraw and the So
cialists shouted back to them to go. It
looked like a general fight would ensue
every minute, when Chris O'Brien finally
got the attention of the crowd and talked
reason to the excited politicians for few
minutes. In the meantime more delegates
had come in and division Of the house
was called for, the opposing factions lining
up on either side of the hall. This count
gave 81 for Taylor's motion to hay on the
table and Sc against it.
Again the conservatives disputed the ac-
curacy of the count and withdrew from the
hall to verify their numbers. They came
back apparently satisfied that they had
lost and consented to argue the matter.
BY this time the hall was so crowded that
it was decided to adjourn to the big hall
upstairs.
When order had been again restored the
advocates of either side Of the question
settled down to fve-minute arguments.
Thomas I. Kidd offered a substitute which
was adopted. providing for a special COM
mittee of 20 to prepare a plan of propa-
ganda to educate the workingmen Of the
city in the principles of the party. The
appointment of the committee was left to
the chairman, who is strong socialist.
Now we are not at all alarmed by all
this uproar. 1t is a sign of life not
death. A grave yard is the quietest
place in the world; and a Populist con-
vention the liveliest.
Neither has the word Socialism"
g.