The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-03-25
GOV. WAITE'S VIEWS.
He Replies to Mr.. Ripley of Ten
-- ,,.,-.4 --4 neSSee.
He Don't Believe in the Pie Program-How to
Serve God and Mammon.


T. In The Representative" Of Febru-
airy 10, appears an article from F. }.
Ripley, of Tennessee, on ''How to Win
Victory Mr. r. says: ITO agree on a
national ticket is to agree to support two
men. These two men can't possibly en-
body all the issues of all the reform or
PLANTATIONS, but they can embOdy all the
reform principles in which reform organ
fzations are agreed, and the principles are
all that should be in the union platform
The issues outside this must content
themselves with representation in con-
gress and fair division of the pie after
the election"
How simple; how easy! Just like roll
ing off a log! 1t Is only question in
mathematics. Here is a congressional
district 1t polls 5000 Republican votes,
10000 Populist votes and 5000 Demo-
cratic. All there is to do is for the Popu-
lists and Democrats to unite. If they
"get together" they have 5000 clean ma
1ority over the Republicans. Will the pie
Populists and Democrats agree to unite?
we will say under the lead Of the very
astute Mr.. Ripley. The platform is care
fully trimmed down until it contains af-
firmatively nothing Objectionable to a
Populist or Democrat. The "pie" bust
ness is looked after most cOnscieniously,
and apportioned with the most even
handed justice. This Democrat is to
have this important postoffice and that
Populist is to have that correspondingly
fat official position.
= But at the. election somehow or other
"the old thing don't work" The Repub-
hcan candidate succeeds by an increased
,oSo hot t,fc
Democrats become disguised with this
pie barter and sale business and declin-
ing to be delivered like package of mer-
chandise, either refuse to vote at all, or
go squarely over and vote Republican.
But the cream Of the very pie-ous Mr..
Ripley is in the wind-up. 1t is the rich
est specimen of unconscious humor we
ever saw.
He says: II am POpulist, but / say
that if Populists insist on all nominations
coming to them the other reformerS won't
support the ticket and ought not to. 9th
er organizations have the right to a fair
representation in congress, if they sup
port the ticket, and if it is denied them,
because of our grasping selfishneSs, then
we will suffer defeat and ought to, for
wickedness sooner or later will be pun
ished, as the scriptures tell us it will.
Men may go counter to the laws of God
for a season, just as they may go counter
to the law of gravity, but sooner or later
they come down, and sometimes they
come down hard!'
o. Really Mr.. Ripley is an expert He
has made a new discovery that can be
patented without infringement on any
other invention. Quay, German, Brice
and Elkins have never caught on to
this religious side of trading in politics.
Mr.. Ripley is of the opinion not only that
you can serve God and Mammon, but
that if you don't do that very thing you
will come down-hard!
No one claims that the Omaha platform
is perfect, but it's three great principles
of reform, land, transportation and
! finance are indispensable to the salvation
of the country. There can be no proper
settlement of the financial question
which omits as factors the corporate
trusts and monopolies which have the
business and prosperity Of the country by
the throat. To expect a victory over the
disciplined cohorts Of the two old parties,
thoroughly drilled in corruption and
fraud and ready to unite their forces if
accession demands, by an ill-disciplined
mob of refOrmers with single issue upon
which they are all agreed, and prospec-
tive fair division of the pie after the
election" is the most ridiculous idea ever
propounded by the minstrel lend man"
If the American people cannot unite
on enough vital principles of reform,
which, if successful, will save the coun-
try, then in the nature of things, there is
no salvation for us. To go back on vital
principles because faction of half baked
reformers oppose, is cowardly, and God
hates coward. Davis H. Waite.
noOvor Col