The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-17
THE TRUE PEOPLES PARTY.

The true peoples party today is the
National Democracy. Nothing is more
encouraging than the approval which
the Indianapolis platform receives in
private conversation from at least
two-thirds of the voters. We be-
heVe that we are exaggerating
nothing when we say that, if the
present emergency that threatens the
life and hope Of the nation could be
removed, and the people be free to ex-
press absolutely, without prior inffu-
ence their honest convictions, Pal
mer and Buckner would be elected
in November by majority as great
as that of Grover Cleveland in 1892
The truth is that political parties have
paltered with conviction and denied
the will Of the people until the voters
are utterly wearied with them all. This
is the secret of the rise of the Populists
to favor. Impossible and improper as
many Of the aims of that party are it
is a break away from the old organf-
cations, which sought power only to
break their pledges and spurn the peo-
pie after they possessed it. In these
days when party ties are loosened Re-
publicans and Democrats do not hes
itate to express individually their per-
sonal opinions with freedom hitherto
unknown they confess this freely.
Aside from the mere partisan element,
which is only little nucleus on either
side, they commend with almost equal
emphasis the nominees and the plat
form of the Indianapolis convention
Republicans say that they have had
enough Of high tariff madness They
admit that this country is rich enough
to look after it's own industries. and
that the rise of trusts, as a monstrous
progeny of tariff protection, calls, as
first measure, for the abolition of
their progenitor They know that this
country, of unparalleled richness in re-
sources and unmatched In the skill
and protective ability of it's laborers,
can hold its own against any other
people on earth in manufacturing.
They say that we have had enough Of
tariff discussion, and that the country
should now put that question behind
1T; that the adoption of the tariff for
revenue principle is one which will. in
any application of it, afford for some
time to come all, and probably more
than all the protection that is good
for any industry.
Democrats who belong to the Jeffer-
sonian school are, we need not say.
more than delighted with the reaffir-
nation at Indianapolis of the princi-
pies which they hold dear Those of
them who are not intoxicated with the
delusion that the party may go into
power on the free silver issue. whether
1t wrecks the country or not, and those
of them who are not filled with the
frenzy of believing in the omnipotence
of legislatures are heart and soul with
the National Democratic movement
Gauging the popularity and the
strength of this party by the things
that are heard and said of it in the
state and in the nation, we repeat that.
on a fair test of strength. it would
come in first at the polls this year. Re-
publicans who approve of it's money
plank far more than they do of that
adopted at st. Louis will, of course.
vote for Mckinley in this great crisis.
Some Democrats who are Thoroughly
in accord with the Indianapolis move
ment will also vote for Mckinley. be-
cause they say that they desire not to
run any chances of Bryan's election.
The terror of what such a rule as that
of Bryan, Tillman and Altgeld would
mean for this country is driving the
voters in clouds to cast their ballots
for Mckinley as their only, though dis
agreeable salvation.
Could this apprehension be removed,
were the menace of free silver not held
above the prosperity and honor, and
the menace of disorder held above the
life and liberty of the nation, could