The midland journal., 1896-06-12
LIVE ISSUES.
Strength of a Third Party.

Making allowances for the eXigen-
cies that may arise from the sig
nificance Of the college of electors,
the possibilities of reference of
choice to the House of Represen-
tatives, and the election of minor
ity President, it issafe to say that
the party that can command five
millions of votes can elect the next
President of the United States in
November.
Under the present condition of
affairs it is absolutely impossible to
guess the strength of either of the
two old parties. After the adjourn
ment of their respective national
conventions this may be more easily |
computed, for much will depend
upon the magnitude of the dissen
sions and consequent secessions
which are certain to come upon
both of these bodies. The rock
upon which both will split is the
money question, and whichever
side of the controversy has domi-
nate these bodies. or either of
them, the dissenters will turn ex-
pectantly toward third party as
the only alternative; and if it'll
should be the Silverites in the old
parties who thus dissent and secede,
as it is morally certain to be, they
will without doubt rally to the
support of the Silver organization
whose national convention will fol-
low close upon the heels of the con-
ventions of the two old parties,
and whose adherents already num-
ber, it is said, two millions, includ-
ing the Bimetallic Protectionists,
the Bimetallic Union, and other
anti. gold-standard organizations.
Now let us consider the probable
strength of the party distinctively
known as Populists. According to
reliable authority, the Peoples
party is the second strongest party
in twenty States of the Union, In
several states it quadrupled its vote
in 1894, as compared with the vote
in 1892. In four States it tripled
it's vote, in eleven States it doubled
its vote, and in forty-one States it
increased it's vote in 1894, as COM
pared with its vote in 1892. (See
published official vote.) The Peo-
ple's party has in the Senate of the
United States six Senators, who
control the balance of power in
Congress. Since 1892 it has elect
ed Congress sixteen Congressman
and five Governors of States. 1t
poled in November 1895 in Ohio
over $4,000 votei, in Iowa over
$4,000, in Kansas Ono election for
governor) the Peoples party car
ried majority of the counties. In
1894 the Peoples party polled in
Georgia $4,000 votes, in Texas
100000 votes. in North Carolina,
Peoples party and Republicans,
over 148, 900 votes; in South Dakota
over 10000 votes; in Nebraska over
$1,000 votes, in California, for
Governor, over 1000 votes, for U.
S. Senator, $4,000 votes. 1t is
pretty safe to say that the Populists
will be able, by the time the pres
idential election shall occur, to con-
troll two millions of votes through
out the country. That this large
army of men who are dissatisfied
with the two old parties and who
are determined to bring about a
change, will unite with the Silver
party at the great convention which
is to be held in st. Louis on the
22d of July is quite probable. In
deed, that they will do so is
evinced by the fact that they have
called their national conventions at
the same time and in the same city.
The people are with us. They
hate the gold power because it is in
the hands of the bankers of Europe,
and embraces the papacy itself,
money power of the first magnitude,
with resources drawn from every
quarter of the globe, enforced by
the invincible strength of it's perfect
political machinery and ecclesias-
tical authority; and the people are
beginning to realize that the Repub-
lican and Democratic parties in this
country have both become the allies
of these burglars of the universe.