Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-08-19
ON THE DOWN GRADE.
Western Farmers will Not Take an
Epidemic Twice.


POpulism appears to some new out
break of the neither forces, unmeaSured
and therefore to be feared. But
glance at IFS history removes much I'M
certainty about its strength. 1t IS Il re-
hash of the Greenback party, which
picked uD after the panic of 1913 the
Anti-M onopolists and Farmers, and varl-
Gus ODDS and ends of old parties which
had been dropped off during fifteen years,
and cast in 1876 for Peter Cooper for
President 81, 1871 votes, of which $1,000
were in Indiana, Michigan. Illinois, Iowa
and Kansas. In 1880, with Mr. Weaver
of Iowa for candidate, it cast 3OS,olo
votes, of which about half were III the
states just named and Missouri. Then
it faded out, casting only 1880 for
Butler in 1884, and after more or less
fusion with Cleveland men in 1888 and
consolidation with labor men under the
name Union Labor party. pOlled only
127.239 votes Then succeed the
Farmers alliance, polling Il considera bic
vote IN Il few states, and next the Eco
pies party gathered up the same polit-
dissatisfied farmers. The Omaha con-
ventiOn in July, 1892, nominated Weav-
Ell who had been the Greenback candl-
date in 1880, and proposed a national
currency of $50 per capita distributed
directly to the people under sub-treas-
control Of railroads and telegraphs, and
government possession of land now held
by corporations. Through all the changes
for twenty years the same idea has pre-
vailed-unlimited paper initiation. But
in 1892. by means of various bargains
with the Democrats, the vote was raised
to 1,042,G3 or S.79 per cent of the
total.
This party carried just enough states
to show what it would do if it could,
and to make itself utterly detested by 4
large share of its own supporters. III
Kansas it elected, by the aid of Demo
Gratis, Lewelling governor with 163,o0I
votes in 1892, but could muster only
11S,329 votes for him in 1894, and made
no attempt to run candidate in 1895.
The disgraceful conduct of Lewelling is
well known. In Colorado it elected
Bloody Brides Waite governor by
Democratic aid in 1882 with 800 plural
ity, but was defeated with him as can
didate in 1894 by 1S.60S plurality. In
Illinois Altgeld was elected as a Demo-
crat by $4,000 plurality in 1892, but the
state gave 133,427 Republican plurality
in 1894, the Republican vote being $4,000
more than was cast for Harrison in 1892.
So experience in other states has taught
thousands of voters the lesson that loss
of confidence, proStration of business,
disgrace and misrule tending toward an
archy. surely follow wherever the Popu-
lists get power, and it would be a mar
vel if Il great proportion of the Repub-
icans, and of the Democrats also who
once acted with this party had not
turned against it with intense feeling
The uprising of farmers originated in
blind reliance upon demagogues of their
own, and the Worn-Out and discarded
demagOgues of other parties, to cure
evils which We're solely felt but which
no government could cure, and which
1,,,. rI1, l.
farmers themselves. 1t came in just
the states where the frantic land sDecu-
lation had caused Il few years before
the craZieSt advances in land so that n
great proportion of the property changed
hands at prices which made profits in or
binary agriculture impossible. The coun-
try was plastered over with mortgages
given when it was believed a man could
double his money by buying q farm.
The farmers then proceeded to attack
creditors by most unjust laws and de-
clslons regarding collections, and to de-
strOy the confidence and assail the credit
of corporations, preventing extension OF
railways, and yet they were foolish
enough to imagine that increasing devel-
Opment of their states and larger pros
perity would follow When inevitable
reaction came it not only Frustrated null
ttudes who had taken too large ven
lures, but thousands who had been guilty
of no imprudence, merely because they
lived III state cursed by Populism.
Senator Cameron, when asked whether
he would support Bryan, CURLY an
swered Il am silver man, but not a
fool. 1t would indict the common sense
of Western farmers to suppose that after
their experience of Populism and free
silver Democracy they would try it
again. That is one of the epidemics
which men never take twice. The cleo
ton results prove that many thousands
who had the disease have recovered com
pletely, and the wild performances and
utterances of Democratic and Populist
conventions this year have been eminent
ly calculated to cure many mOre.-New
York Tribune