The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-11-25
NO FORE-STALLING,
THE SAME OLD GAME.

nv OPuAAoOo oAOy a. q ulCS plolu
and simple-minded people, -farmers
and mechanics. Honest themselves
they do not suspect dis honesty in 9TH
ers. Hence during the recent cam
paign they became the victims of a
lot OF scamps, and found the mselves
placed in such a position that no 9TH
er course seemed to open to them ex-
cept that pointed out by the trick
SterS. > ~ '@"''
The same old game is being pre-
pared again. The free.silver papers
are already at work trying to insist
that the Populists must nominate Mr..
Bryan, and no one else. in 1900. No
man has more respect for Mr.. Bryan
than we have; but it will be four years
before the next presidential election
is held, and the whole face Of politics
may be changed before that event.
Suppose the hard-times continue,
and grow worse, alarmingly worse,
and the Republicans themselves are
driven, by an overwhelming force of
public sentime mt, to open our minis to
the free coinage of silver dollars; then
that part of the money-question will
silverites will have to re-enter the Re.
publican party or drift into the Peo-
pies Party. In that event the cam
paign of 1900 will turn upon the
broader questions set forth in the
Omaha platform:-government owner
oh ~ nf roi1 do al
abundant currency and the abolition
of the power Of national banks to is
sue bank-nOteS.
We have not one word to say against
the Democrats of Misunderstanding
are an earnest, honest. enthusiastic
body of gen tlemen; but we fear if Mr..
Bryan had been elected president the
Peoples Party would have utterly dis
appeared from the face of our poll
tics; and with it all our other great
principles, -apart from free silver
would have persisted. 1t would have
been a Democratic administration:
and It's power would have been exer-
cised, we fear, in the direction of OBJ
literating the Populists from the map
Of he world. Our leaders would have
been seen standing around, basket on
arm, begging for the cat-meat of pub
lie patronage, an utterly demoralized
mob of time-seryers. They would
have had no absolute control of any
thing; they could only appeal for
charity to the generosity of the re-
Invented and triumphant Democracy.
If they attempted to adhere to their
principles they would be frowned up
on and treated as outlaws, as effectu-
ally as they have been for years past
by the two old parties.
We do not say that the Populists
should not renominate Mr.. Bryan in
1900, but we insist that whatever is
done then shall not be forestalled
now, by few free-silverites, who are
an army Of generals with very few
private soldiers; willing to do all the
planning and take all the spells Of
success, while kicking the men who
furnish the body of the votes. The Peo-
pies Party must hold its national conuen-
ton in 1900 F1RS7;-formulate its own
platform and make its own nomina-
lions. 1t may confer with prospective
allies, bu: it must hold the whip
and WELD it. II they agree upon Mr..
Bryan 1t must be with the clear un-
Outstanding that there shall be no
repetition Of the shameful Sewall
business; and that if we win we shall
have such full share in the govern
mcnt as will prevent our principles,
apart from free-silver, being ignored
and trampled under foot. We should
not be asked to build up power in
imica1 to our own life.
We may cooperate On a basis of fair
play and equality; but be should not
be compelled to follow master, like
lot of cringing hounds in leash.
We want no forestalling-nop plan
nlng--no man8uvering--no back
stairs caucussing-nO cooking I'D Of
dishes by the nobodies for the some
bodies to swallow. We want to send
no man to our state or national con-
ventions who is ready. "a la OVEN, to
sell out the party for an endorsement
ny any other party; or to use great
principles as step-ladder to crawl up
to the garrett window of preferment.
Either our millions of votes are
worth something or they are not. II
they deserve considering let those
who seek our co-opera tion meet us in
manly fashion and take no steps with
out conference with US. The way In
which the Democratic Chicago con-
vention, after nominating Mr.. Bryan,
went ahead and nominated that
plutocrat and national banker, from
Maine, for vice president, was an in
suit to the members of our party. from
which alone it could expect the votes
necessary to elect it's ticket. They
should have adjourned at once and
left the place open for our people to
I'LL. That they did not shows the con-
tempt in which they held us.
When we nominated Mr.. Watson for