The San Francisco call., 1896-04-21
AN UNHOLY ALLIANCE.

The reported efforts OF certain would-be
leaders among the Democrats and the
Populists to arrange for a com bination of
those parties to carry the Congressional
elections in California this fall have a GER
tain Importance growing out of the fact
that some scheme of the kind would be a
natural outcome of the situation. The
chances of each party in this campaign are
slight. Their office-seekers are desperate.
They are aware that if either attempts to
make straight fight throughout the State
it will be overwhelmingly defeated in every
Congressional district. What is more nat
ural, therefore, than that the hungry
seekers for spoils should act upon the
principle that half a loaf is better than no
bread, and agree to pool their chances and
make com bination that promises vic
tory here and there?
1t is only to the office-seekers of the two
parties, however, that such a com bination
seems natural or even practicable. The
principles that underlie Democracy are
wide as the poles asunder from those that
infuse Populism. 1t is from the logical
application of Democratic principles to
practical politics that comes the extreme
conservative creed known as Bourbonism,
while from the philosophy of Populism
there flow forth all the innumerable
vagaries of radicallsm gone crazy. On
what platform of principles or even of
measures can the loyal members of these
parties combine? Shall the Bourbon turn
radical or the radical turn Bourbon? Is it
that we shall see both Bourbon and radi-
cal sacrifice every principle of his creed in
order to help some greedy office-seeker
crafty his desire?
That the Populist leaders should be
willing to enter into such a com bination
is not strange. Most of them have been
making politics bargain and sale busi-
ness ever since they entered it. They
have been as ready to combine with Re-
publicans in the Southern States as with
Democrats in the North. They have much
to gain by such combi nations and little 20
lose. They have no history, no tradition,
no prestige, no party loyalty to sacrifice
in making the trade. Their policies for
the most part include such socialistic
measures as are wholly out of the domain
of practical politics. and about the only
practical politics in sight for them. there
fore, is the getting of offices and spoils in
any manner possible.
Widely different from the condition of
the Populists is that of the Democrats
They are members of one of the old his
toric parties of the country Their his
tory contains the illustrious names of JET
ferson, Jackson, Marcy and Douglas. If
it also happens TO contain the name of
Cleveland that is because the leaders of
the party once committed the blunder of
making a combination with the Mug
wumps. 1t is from such alliances that
| this experience one would suppose the
most stupid of Democrats would have
sense enough to stick to straight politics
hereafter. 1t is clear that such comb
nation as is talked of with the Populists
would mean the surrender of the Demo
cratic party in half the State and would
imply such a degree of decentralization as
would render it impossible for the leaders
to bring out the party vote to carry the
scheme through.
Republicans can watch the proposed
deal with serene minds. After the isas.
trous experiment with Democratic blum
deri ing in National affairs there is no
danger the people will repeat that expert
ment with Populists added to Democrats.
here will be no experiments this year.
The people are now eager to see business
resumed, industry revived. wages restored
and prosperity re-esta bished. Nopossible
combination can stand against their deter
mlnation to bring this about. They will
vote the Republican ticket and straight
politics will win.