The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-11-04
HOW IT HAPPENED.

DELAYED BUT NOT DEFEATED.
1t is long journey from misgovern-
ment to good governments long and
weary way-full of pit-holes and set
backs,-ful OF bog3 and blunders,-in-
tested with knaves and fools and
ign0ramuses.
It looks as If we had tumbled into
the ditch. We are gathering ourself
up. and scraping the mud of, and
looking around to take our bearings.
With most Of us the hind-siQht is
better than the foresight. We see
the mistakes We have made after we
have suffered from them; and so We
scratch our heads and start forward
to commit, probably a lot of new
blunders, as ridiculous and destruc-
tive as the first.
One of the mistakes Of the PEOPLES
Party convention at St. Louis was the
elimination or whiting away of the
Omaha platform. leaving out those
phrases and declarations which espe-
cially appealed to the hearts of the
workingmen of the cities. This was
done under mistaken desire to make
our creed palatable to the Democrats.
by dropping its distinctive features;
while the truth was the Democrats
desired our aid at the ballot box, and
Gid not desire to fuse with US on prin.
cple; and as long as they got our
votes they would not have cared a
farthing what we preached. But on
the other side the Populists of the
cities came to the conclusion that the
Peoples Party was abandoning those
radical ideas which had made them
sustain it in 1892; and was courting
the support Of the hermophrodites
| and Miss Nancies Of the two old par
ties:-the creatures that are neither
fish, flesh, nor good red herring. In
| other words we were changed from an
advancing, charging army, with guns
cleaning and banners flying. to a
cowardly host, in full retreat, encum-
bered by the baggage wagons of pros
| pective plumber.
This mis- take cost us hundreds OF
thousands Of votes all over the coun-
try. We could see the effect of it
very plainly right here in Mime
! apOlis. 1t demoralized and devided
US.
The next great mistake we made
was in trying to force the Populists
| and Democrats into an unnatural
marriage. 1t was the "direful spring
OF woes unnumbered." In the fear Of
| disorganizing our own forces we have
kept out Of the columns Of this paper
any illusions to the fierce battle be-
tween the Democrats and Populists
which has BEEN raging, for months
past, in Texas, North Carolina, Geor-
gia, Alabama, Tennessee, Kansas, In
diana and Nebraska.
No one not familiar with the condi-
tion of affairs in the South can realize
the bitter wrath and hate that exis is,
and has long existed there between
the Populists and Democrats They
haye been fighting each other for
years insulting, denouncing and
Strengthening each other. The Demo.
Gratis Of that region represented the
more aristocratic part Of the popula-
ton, and they regarded the Peoples
Party men as little better than the
negroes; and ostracised them accord
lngiy. In this state we knew nothing
of these feelings. The Democrats
and Popalists of Minnesota were both
minority parties, and sympathised
with each other in oppos ition to the
dominant organization; and our COM
mon necessities drew us together.
Hence our delegation at St. Louis con.
cluded that an ntermarriage that
was SO easy in this state must be
equally easy in all other states; and
under the leadership Of S. NJ. Owen,
who worked like a beaver to that end.
they assisted in forcing the two par
ties into one. Owen was not actuated
in his course by any loye OF Mr.. Bryan.
(for he loves nobody but he thought
it would please the Democrats of
Minneapolis and insure his own en-.
dorsement for Congress-, If he took
that course. He has consequently
helped to wreck the Peoples Party in
the United States, while he has &C
compliShed nothing for himself.
1t is very easy to persuade two men
to pull at one rope:-it is very difficult
to get them into the same pair of
pants, at the same time. There will
| necessarily be more Or less scourgino
| and squeezing and scratching and Bit
ing and fighting; and they cannot pull
at the same rope half as we'll as IL
each fellow wore his own breeches.
Consequently from the hour that fu-
sion was accomplished, in July last,
an internecine war has been raging
throughout the South and West. In
this state the Democrats acted With
great fairness and liberality; but In
other sections there was decided
disposition to snub and outlaw the
Populists.
All this clashing and bitterness
could have been avoided If we had, at
St. Louis preserved our party intact,
nominated our own ticket, and then
passed a resolution inStructinp our