The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-07-01
COL. NORTON'S VIEWS.
SHOULD WE NOMINATE TELLER
POpulfstS Dissatisfied With the Ac.
ton OF the Signcrs of q Re.
cent Address.

That old Populist war-horse, Col. S.
+. Norton, puts forth the following
address in the Joliet, Illinois New:
While not ques tioning the good in
tentions OF the two dIZen gentlemen
who signed the "Populist Address is.
sued at ST. Louis endorsing the can
didacy OF Senator Teller, we regard it
as ill-advised and untimcly. Although
signed by men who, with three or
four exception, are scarcely known
outside OF their own counties. and al
though disowning any expression of
opinion except as private citizens, it
has already been seized upon by the
plutocratlc press and proclaimed to
the world as solemn agreement of
Ine Peolle's Party to support Senator
Teller! Color is given to this oid-par
ty Interpretation by the fact that a
portion OF the Signers are officially
connected with the Populist organiza-
tion-a construction That cannot be
overcome by the disavowals of the ad-
dress ITSELF
We Think it would have been de-
cidediy better to have left the matter
for the national convention to deal
with when it meets at St. Louis, July
~. Our opinion is that the effect will
lessen instead Of increase the chances
OF the very thing that the signers Of
the document aimed at. They are en-
dangerlng their cause by premature
action.
There is decidedly friendly feeling
among PopulistS for Senator Teller
His recent course in the Senate, his
courageous action in St. Louis. his
recognized ability, patriotism and in
tegrlty all tend 10 endear him to the
hearts Of the men who have been
struggling for years to Wrest the gov
eminent from the clutches of Wall
street. But party of million men
is greater than any one man, or any
two dozen men. So is platform of
principles greater.
Three months ago when Tillman
made his great speech, it was diff.
cult matter for many of our Populist
friends to restrain themselves suffi-
GENTLY from nominating him for the
presidency. But just where the sena-
tor from South Carolina lis at" today
Is not publicly known. Some years
ago the Gresham ''gushers" came
near wrecking the grandest move
ment OF the century by nominating q
man who jumped into Cleveland's
cabinet with an alacrity that made
We shall never forget seeing one OF
these very same illustrious gentle
men, whose name is signed to this St.
Louis address, rush brea thlessly and
in hot haste down the aiSles and up
| onto the stage at Omaha TO read with
suppressed emotion and excitement
dispatch from. one of Mr.. GreSham's
near relatives that there was no
doubt lin the near relatives mind)
about his (Gresham's) willingness to
accept the nomination of the Peoples
Party. There is good deal of the
same sort OF the small boy enthusiasm
in the document under discussion.
The nomination Of Senator Teller
by the Populists at St. Louis will de-
pend largely upon the development OF
events in the meantime. The action
of the Democrats at Chicago may
make difference. The course Of SEN
ator Teller himself may be Of import
ance. While he may have started out
all right there is no knowing what
month will bring about.
The platform at St. Louis will b,
the first and most important matter
to settle. How the platform will jibe
with the action Of the free silver
forces, and with the position Of Sena
tor Teller, will be an important thing
to consider.
And most assuredly the effect upon
the free silver wing OF the Democratic
party at Chicago has been more than
doubly discounted by the premature
action Of the issuers of his address. 1t
is with political forces as it is with
that "coy-and-uncertain" sex-indffer-
ence sometimes wins where too great
earnestnesS loses. The uncertainty OF
"what the Populists will do' will be
more potent than what they have
DONE" And we do not forget that sew
eral Of the gentlemen who sign the
address used, as one Of their strongest
arguments for late convention, the
opportunity that it would give the
Populists to take advantage Of the &C
ton Of not one but both old parties
In conclusin. our judgment is that
the Populsts should move right
steadily along in the middle of the
road without being stampeded to the
right or left, till the 22d of July 1896,
when they will meet at St. Louis in
national convention and take such &C
ton as in their wisdom seems best.
S. f. n.