The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-07-22
a NE WSPAPER JOKE.


Lordl How this world is given to "
ing!''
A friend sends Us an extract from
letter he has received. In which some
reference Is made to our humble self,
as follows:
OF course there are exceptions
among the Pop leaders, but they all
the more prove the rule. Those that
are undoubtedly honest generally
have wheels In their head.
Yet the Minnesota Populists may be
very different-bus don't think they
are the simon-pure article. But
still, Ignatius DUnnelly Is no fool.
have heard him speak several
times, and have read his books, But
Lord deliver me from following the
lead OF such a man. His head is and
always has been full Of vagaries
c'wheels" started 10 say, but was
afraid you wouldn't like it). Now,
don't come back at me and say that |
think any man who doesn' t follow the
lead of Wall street has wheels in his
head" Please don't. knew man
who lived near Donnelly (this was
some years ago, before you went to
Minnesota), and he told me Donnelly
was about as rank a demagogue as he
ever knew. He said IgnatiuS would
be at work III his library with his
good clothes, when a deputation OF
farmers would call on him; he would
change his clothes to some old rusty
suit and get on broad brimmcd
straw hat, and run in from the hay
field" to meet his 'sneighbors." Now,
there isn't any politics in this; it was
told to me before free silver was heard
OF, so | am very sure it does not en-
enate from Wall street.
But, 'joshing" aside; really don't
know how I shall vote. / don't want
to vote for Mckinley, and I don't want
single gold standard, and do want
to get back to the dollar Of the dads.
1t is hardly necessary to say that
there is not word Of truth in this
story. 1t originated about twenty
years ago, with Mr.. w. A. Croffut,
now of Washington, D. c., then edi-
tor of the Minneapolis Tribune. We
were in the State Senate at the time,
"a leader OF the Anti-Monopolist is;
and Mr.. Croffut wrote some very
am using attic es about US. In one of
these he described us, (as this corre-
spondent does,) as seated in our IL
brary, when words came that dele
cation OF farmers was approaching.
Quick" we cried, "bring us our
overalls and brogans.
Then we rushed out. and greeted
the aRriculturists. We said, grasping
their hands.
II am glad to see you gentlemen.
Walk in. Have you h,tsked your potatoes
have you dug your corn?"
This was all very funny, and we en-
joyed it as much as any one. But we
never expected to see it crop up,
twenty years afterwards. and prove
that we were a demagogue. No one
who has lived near us would believe
such story for one instant. We
have never assumed demagogue airs.
We have always tried to be gentle
man. 1t has sometimes been objected
10 us that we did not 90 around with
our pants in our boots and with
manure splattered all over us. Adam
Bede said the other day that we were
the only man that had ever defended
the people while living in the Ryan
Hotel. We have never pandered to
public prejudices or popular error.
Our life has been spent attacking
them.
We look for nothing in this world
but the privilege Of doing good, in our
own way, according to our best lights;
and il we are translated to another
world we expect to continue the same
work there.
Why then should we play the dema.
gogue, or cring or crawl to anything
on this broad earth?
| Have not men got sense enough to
see that a man who is always in the
minority; always fighting uphill the
battle Of the poor and friendless;
never going where wealth and Office
are to be found, must either be honest
or the biggest darned fool in Christen-
dom?
1 T.