The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-09-16
STRONG WORDS.
A Leading Populist Denounces the Men Who
Struck Down the Editor Of the Represen-
tatiye at St, Louis.

Struck Down the Editor Of the Represen-
tative at St. Louis.
Editor Representative:
The Representative forum has
teemed with burning expressions OF
righteous indignation at the ungracious
treatment that Hon. l. Donnelly received
in St. Louis at the hands of the Mime
sofa Populists, all of which have read
with mingled feelings of pain and pleas
ure; pain to think that Populists, mem
bers of our own party, would lend them
selves to the infamous work of slaughter
ing the foremost man in our ranks; one
who has done more for the financially
afflicted and distressed than any other 10
men in our country, and this in direct
and palpable violation of the instructions
they received. But l have read with al
most infinite pleasure the merited crit
icisms of those true and tried POpulists
upon their perfidiOus cOnduct-acts that
would cause the cheek of the midnight
assassin even to Jingle with shame. And
l learn with the deepest regret that S.
M. Owen leads in this base and heartless
work, for, from what the Representa-
tive has previously said of this man,
the able and cordial support it had ever
accorded him, that he was true blue
POpulist, one whose heart was in the
great work of needed reform, not moved
by purely selfish motives. But l am
glad to learn this early the true charac-
ter of this man. If half that the Rep
resentative'' says of him is true land I
do not believe that Mr.. DOnnelly would
prevaricate one iota), then he is as near
congress today as he will ever be, and
justly too, for the country has already
too many such traitors there now. Let
the sworn and persistent enemies of
financial and social amelioration send to
the national legislature such unscrupu-
lous tools to do their internal work of
rObbing the masses to fatten Shylocks,
but let it never be said that the only
party of reform will be guilty of like
conduct. We did expect, we had right
to expect that, owing to the generous
and unsought instructions of the Popu-
lists throughout the state, that Mr.. D.
would be brought prominently to the
front as presidential candidate, and in
case he failed of the nomination the dele
gates that know him best, in considera-
ton of his matchless ability, and more
especially those from Minnesota, would
stay with him from start to finish. But
envy ruled the hour. His distinguished
and unselfish devotion to the cause of
the people, his peerless ability as
writer, orator and scientist, received no
recognition at the hands of these enviouO.
brainless specimens of the genus homo
for the identical reason that Webster and
Clay could never reach the presidency.
Their superior intellectual strength was
so marked, so conspicuous, that envy got
in it's deadly work and inferior men won
the prize. Mr.. Donnelly will learn that
it is dangerous to be great. 1t seems to
be the aim of mediocre talent to dispar-
age distinguished intellectual power
placing at the front the one whose
thieving tact enables him to steal mill
ions from the people whose intellect Is
trying to rescue from the grasp of soul
less plutocracy. l do hope that the peO-
pie for whom the Representative" is do
ing so much to bring out of the present
distressed environments will spot these
heartless pretenders, so that in future
campaigns the people will know exactly
where to assign them. Horace Greedy
did more than all others combined to
make the Republican party a winning
power in this land; and when in it's
strength it turned upon him in all it's
malignant, heartless fury, and run him
through the madhouse to the grave
This was the direct result of ingratitude,
than which nothing is baser or more des-
picable. But feel sanguine that Mr..
D. will triumph over all enemies to the
reforms he seeks, and yet win place and
fame, as he has already done in "Atlan-
tis,' "Ragnarok," Caesars Column"
etc. That he may long live and to see
the triumph OF the cause for which he
now labors, is the prayer of evry true
Populist. e. w. B. Harvey.