The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-08-22
AN IMPOSSIBLE DECKER.

The difficulty which has arisen about
the division of the spoils in the state
of Idaho and the alarm which is felt
at Democratic and Populist headquar-
ters upon the situation is one symptom
OF a trouble that is chronic everywhere
1t is an essential attendant of the flu
sion scheme. BY no possibility can you
escape it where politics become the
subject of a selfish dicker. 1t Is the
silver Republicans in this case who
are left out of the trade. They, under
the leadership of Senator Dubois, have
been a very important item in the past.
They possibly hold the balance of
power for the future. But the Peo-
pies party and the Democratic party
in Idaho have agreed upon terms to
suit themselves, believing that they are
strong enough to carry the day without
Republican assistance; and imagining,
perhaps, that the silver Republicans
must vote with them any way, have
gobbled everything in sight and left
the others to whistle for their consid-
GRAFTON. Obviously, this endangers the
success of the deal in Idaho, if the sill
yer Republicans, resenting their treat
ment, should determine in this matter
to vote with their party
Now, the same situation that exists
in Idaho, by virtue Of disagreement
between the bosses who manage these
trades, will be found to exist, at cleo
ton time, in every other state among
the voting masses. It is utterly i'm
possible to make what is known as
fusion" a success in politics. 1t can
be done occasionally, in single cleo
ton and in a single community. Men
who have the voters we'll in hand can
get together, divide the spoils, crack
their whips and pull out with a ma
jority. But it never yet was known to
happen more than once, and it cannot
happen even once over any considera-
BILE extent of country. In Idaho, and in
North Carolina, and in Texas, and in
some of the other states, the difficulty
with fusion is among the leaders. They
cannot agree upon their respective al
lotments OF the swag. In the other
states, where the bosses have fixed the
programme all up beautifully, the trou-
BILE will be found among the voters.
Nowhere, except under compulsion OF
a thoroughly organized machine. can
enough citizens be made to support
combined arrangement that neces-
sarily involves sacrifice of principle,
and, as necessarily, makes control of
the offices it's prime object.
The average man, who is sincere and
honest, wants cause to fight for. He
needs the Inspiration of party attach
ment and party enthusiasm. He needs
to believe, whether rightly or wrongly.
that the party organization of which
ne Is member represents all that is
best in the present and most hopeful
in the future of the republic. It is
blind party attachment, after all.
that controls nine-tenths Of the voters
of this country. Now, when YOU at
tempt to find men whose relations to the
Republican party and the Democratic
party and the Peoples party have been
determined by this feeling, each Of
them having, up to this time regarded
the party of the others as something
to hate and resist to the utmost. and
ask them to come together in support
Of fusion ticket, you simply cannot
induce them to do it. You might inst
as well, when America and Great
Britain were at war with each other.
have asked them to enlist in a common
army to march against some other
foe. And the more members there
are to any such trade, the more i'm
possible its success becomes.
The fusion scheme is one that looks
pretty on paper. 1t does not work
anywhere else. Nowhere but on paper
is it's support equal to the combined
support of the factions out Of which
a fusion is compacted Enthusiasm
and numbers dwindle day by day I'D
to the time of election. ''The cohesive
force of public plumber will not hold
together great masses of men like this.
The few who are to be benefited by it
cannot coerce their allegiance. There
fore, fusion, which is in principle i'm
moral, is in practice unsuccessful.
There will be such a demonstration of
this in November that no party will
want to daily with it in the future.