The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-10-07
MORE AND MORE FOOLISH
NESS.

We want to let S. NJ. Owen alone.
We have said our say. We expect he
will be elected to Congress, not
on his own merits, but be-
cause Of the Fr,e-Silver tidal
wave that is going to sweep all
kinds OF trash into harbor. But every
week some darned fool keeps stirring
us up with long pole. Last week it
was our eccentric friend Judge WEIGH;
and this week it Is Mr.. John Wig, the
clerk Of the District Court of Polk
county, Minnesota. Mr.. Wig goes for
us vigorously. He says
ut may be all true what you have
said about Mr.. Owen. still you are not
justified in creating dissension and
strife. Even though we have Judas
Ia our ranks, (what party has not?) 1t
is better for US to stand unitedly to-
gether than to disband and commence
the work anew. Surely you are too
much Of philosopher, you have too
much insight into human nature, to
believe for moment that we can
build up great political party of eX-
clusively honest men. God himself
tried that experiment and failed"
Softly softly, friend Wig. They are
not going to disband the Peoples Par
ty OF Minnesota because Mr.. Owen
went back on the Initiative and Ref
erendum at St. Louis, and then de-
MED it. Not bit Of it. The life of
the Peoples Party does not depend on
the falseness or faithfulness of Mr..
Owen or any other man. 1t has
broader foundations than that.
Neither do we think that all the
members Of the Peoples party are
honest men. But the rogues, as a
rule, are kept down in the ranks. We
don't send them to Congress.
1t is true that among the twelve
apostles there was Judas who sold
his Savior for thirty pieces OF silver.
But we nowhere read that Christ told
them, from the cross, to put him at
the head OF the new church. He did
not constitute him his successor in
authority. He gave that high office
to Peter, who had been weak and
cowardly, it is true, but was not a
traitor to the Master, whom he loved
And Judas went out and hanged him
Self-an act that has come down the
ages full of pregnant suggestions to
all traitors.
We fear il Brother Wig had been in
| existence at that time he would have
| urged the apostles to put Judas in the
place Of Peter.
What" he would have said, "are
you going to breed dlssension in the
ranks Of the new church by refusing
to make the betrayer OF Christ the
high priest of Christianity? Are there
not bad men in all churches, and
| should you not therefore make bad
man your chief APOSTLE
by me rit raised to that bad eminence?
"There must be perfect harmony at
any cost, and God and the devil must
dwell together in peace, even if
heaven is subverted and hell put on
top OF it,"
Now we have no doubt Mr.. Wig is a
| worthy and well-meaning gentleman,
| but does he not see where his reason
| ing would bring him out?
| Suppose Mr.. Wig had deputy clerk
WIZ was SvcdiIuS tuC mOucy VI Iuc
county, and Mr.. Wig, full OF honest
wrath, was about to kick him out of
doors, and some outsider said:
What! brother Wig! Are you GO
ing to expose and denounce a Popu-
| list? You will breed dissension in
the party! Bad men are to be found
everywhe re!-Ergo,- keep your deputy
where he is, and let him 60 on with
she stealingP'
What would Brother Wig say to
that?
II Mr.. Owen is Judas, land re-.
member it is Mr.. Wig calls him that,
not us). ought he not be exposed and
| denounced? Do we want a Congress
Of Judases? Was it not because the
Republican party was crammed plumb
full of Judases that Mr.. Wig End
good many others Of US left it? And
! II the Peoples Party is to be led by q