The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-01-22
A SHARP GAME.
BUT 1T DID NOT WIN.

BUT 1T DID NOT WIN.
The old parties do not say much
openly about the Populists; but we
are nevertheless the dreadful phan-
toms which dog their footsteps by
day, and stand beside their couches at
night. They feel very much as the
Pennsylvania Dutchman did the first
time he saw monkey. He threw up
both hands and exclaimed:-"Mine
Gott-Vat will der Frenchman make
next?" They cry out in chorus "Popu-
lism is dead!" and then they whisper
to each other:-"Where, in thunder,
will the darned thing break out
next?"
The Democratic national commit
tee, met on the 10th Instant, to fix a
date for the next Democratic Nation
al convention. They knew perfectly
we'll that there was certain to be a
split and bolt:-if the gold bugs win
the free silver men will march out,
and if the free silver men win the
gold bugs will bolt and nominate
Cleveland, 50 as to help the Republi-
cans to win. Now" they said to one
another, "the Populists are a lot of
sentimental, patriotic, ''cranks," and
will call their convention for July 4th,
as they did in 1892. If we Democrats
meet before July 4th. the disaffected
free-silver men in our party will rush
into the Populist camp. But if we
hold our convention after July 4th
the boilers will find the Peoples Par
ty with their ticket in the field and
the doors shut and barred. We had
better call our convention for July T."
And they did so.
But the Populists we're not as big
fools as the Democrats thought they
we're. They did not want the dis
gruntled Democrats to be without a
refuge or shelter, in the days Of
their calamity, and SO we fixed our
date not for July 4th, but July 22d.
And we will stand at the front door
of our hotel, two weeks after the
Democratic convention adjourns. like
a hospitable Boniface, with our white
apron on, and smile foot square on
our faces, and, with extended hands,
welcome the swarming hosts Of those
who hate Plutocracy and love free-sil-
YER, And we won't object a bit if
they make the air blue with profanity
against Grover Cleveland and Baron
Rothschild.- not a bit; it may relieve
our own minds to swear little with
them, softly, but emphatically.
And lest the poor exiles might not
want, on account of old prejudices, to
enter the camp of the alleged
"cranks," we have taken steps so that
they may have hotel Of their own.
All we ask is that all who think alike
shall vote alike, no matter what they
call Observation-Disclosures, Demo-
Gratis, Prohibitionists, Socialists or
anything else. The first thing to be
done is to stop the robbery Of the peo-
pie and the destruction Of our Re-
public.
But the Democratic National Com
mittee was fairly outgeneraled by the
Populist committee. We love the
4th Of July very greatly, but we
love Reform even more.
A story is told of an old farmer who
died and left flock Of about two hun
dred sheep to his two sons. with re-
quest that they would amicably
divide them between them. One of
the sons, the younger, was regarded as
q bind Of tsSOftv''-nOt tsha ri ha Lod ,,
as they say,-and the older, (like the
Democratic Committee), thought he
would put up little game on him.
He knew his brother had great at
tachment for certain pet ram, called
"Rilly," which he had raised from a
lamb; and so he proposed that he, the
elder brother, would divide the sheep
into two parcels, of the same size, and
give his younger brother the right to
the first choice. This seemed reason
able; and the 'soft" young man
agreed to it. The older brother gath
cred together all the poor, sickiy.
runty, diseased sheep, and put them
in field by themselves with "Billy''
in the midst of them; then he put all
the good sheep in another field. He
called his brother to make his choice.
The weak-minded young man con-
templated the two tlocks for some
time, and finally addressed himself to
his pet. with tears In his eyes,
-"Billy," said he, II love you dearly.-I
hate to part with you; but you are in