The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-09-25
IF WE KNEW HOW TO APPLY II
RATHER SQUINTS TO REPUBLICAN
ISM.

RATHER SQU1NTS TO REPUBLICAN,
ISM.
Editor Representative:
Your department that you designate
The Forum is filled each week with the
production of the specialist and the man
who thinks he has a mission to fulfil. 1t
is entertaining to read the various opin-
ions therein expressed. The writer has
no mission except to make living hon.
estly and act the part of useful Ameri-
can citizen, and if you were to take a
bushel basket and to it consign all the
wise sayings of your various correspond
ents, do not know that the world would
be any the worse off for the sacrifice.
Pile up all the splendid classics of Greek
and Roman literature, Homer in the
sweet tones of the Illiad, Socrates with
all his reasoning, works of sage and
chronicles of yore and they would not
compare with the alleged wisdom of the
productions in the columns Of the Forum.
But to the point. I want to say to you
that the people of the state and the whole
Northwest are on the warpath, and are
ready to knife the professional politician
or he who assumes to be wiser than his
fellows.
This is period in the history of the
country when the farmer, the artisan, the
professional man and the common labor
er are reasoning, and the next election
will be a revelation to the wise states
vyhn m 10
masses by the cunning and crafty meth
DDS of the political wire-puller.
So far as am concerned do not care
what name the party may have that
works reform, but let reform come.
This is time when reformers are
needed Theory amounts to nothing
without practice. You may theorize for
centuries and accomplish nothing The
clergy have theorized but progress with
its magic wand has touched us and they
are left to follow in it's footsteps and mi
tiate that which they failed to create.
The statesman can theoriZe but results
are not what we want. We have the So
cialist. the Populist, the Anarchist, the
religious enthusiast, the professional re-
vivalist, the moralist and the man who
is posted On political economy: All Of
them we'll stocked with the wild phanta-
sizes of a distorted vision. Let these men
rush into print. Let the reformer saw
the air and the political economist talk
wise and what have we accomplished.
The rag-tag and bob-tail of civiliza-
ton cannot work reform. We must have
leaders and men who know, by years Of
experience, what the future has in store
for us.
If the Republican party can handle
these problems let 1t do so. There is no
hope of the Democratic party doing it..
1t has never had any capacity for solving
national problems and never will have.
The principles of the party do not draw
wise men into it.
The Populists are mighty good fellows
and mean we'll, but, like the hero of old,
they have hurled their poisonous arrows
of political hatred at the wrong target,
and their ammunition has been wasted.
Loyal American citizens brace up and
talk sense and don't let the foreign blath-
erskite with jug of whisky under one
arm and Democratic vote under the
other influence your decision; but let
America and her interests be dearer to
you than all else and see to it that the
man you elect to represent us is on the
right side of public questions, but do not
let the demagogue and the hair-brafned
agitator break into congress or our state
legislature to shape the destiny Of this
republic. STANLEY.