The San Francisco call., 1896-11-10
Letters From the Peop1e.
THE OUTLOOK.
Hhat Is to BE the Faturs of the Oppost-
tioa Forces.

To the Editor of the San Francisco Cnlt-SIR:
No man can be a genuine Populist who is not
somewhat of a philosopher. He has read his
tory 1t teaches him patience. Hesoon learns
that the race makes progress slowly. IN the
science of government this is most notably
true All NATIONS teach this lesson. Our own
country is not an excep tion. Politics would
seem to be game of blind-mau's-buff. Voters
rush from one side to the other trying to catch
the right man who can give them what MS
party promises. For illustration go Daek
twenty years.
At the close of Grants administration the
popular vote elected Tilden by more than
quarter of million votes. Four years later
Garfield was elected by only 701S votes. Four
years later. in 1884, cleveland was elected by
more than 81 900 votes, defeating Blaine, the
idol of his party. But in four yearsthe people
rejected Cleveland by more than $4,000 votes
and went back to the Republican party under
Harrison. Four years LATER, in 1892, they gave
Cleveland 3S2 ,956 more votes than Harrison
| and went back to the Democracy; and now, In
| 1896, they go back to the Republican party,
eiecting Mckinley by about million votes
more than they gave the Democratic candidate.
Thus the people go zigzag from one parry 70
the other playing their foolish game OF oilho-
man's-b and call it politics.
Thus it appears on the surface; but what is
! beneath It? Is there no real progressE 10 the
superficial mind the people may indeed ,Se.a seen
-
| man's-buff. But Populists look beneatn the
| surface Four years ago, when the people re,
lected Harrison and the Mehinse{ @ sarln anu
for relief the Peoples party offered them a
radical change in the policy of the Govern
ment. but only ], 1,122.045 voters out OF IL, l54,-
| 537 accep pied it. But so great was the change
| wrought by the cnf tinuous Efforts OF the Peo-
| pies party from 1892 to 1896 that the old his
! toric Democratic party, which polIed 5,5o6,-
| 333 votes for Cleveland, and rejected the offer
| OF the Peoples party by that number OF votes,
actually took up the radical policy OF the Peo-
Dle's party and went before the country on
| these new issues and were joined by the Popu-
| lists and q large number of free-silyer X pub
| licans, polling nearly one-half OF The entire
vote OF the country, IN a large portion OF II
| carrying great States by large majorittes in
favor OF this radical change in government
policy.
Whatever may be said or thought with re-
| gard to the Peoples party there can be but
lone conclusion as to its influence on the polit-
ical history Of this country-it has already Sc
| cured the adoption of an important part of its
| principles by nearly half of tue voters and 1t
has come TO stay as political factor in Ameri-
can politics under such name and organization
| as The future may unfold. Its most strenuous
| opponents will concede the fact that no Doliti-
| cal party in the co untry has grown to such
! formidable proportions in so short time, ana
\ his wish is father to his thought who for
moment thinks that the policy for which the
People party stands has me a staggering blow
! In the recent election. A political revolution
| has been inaugurated with such impressive
| earnestness that 1t has almost triumphed at
| the Dolls, and he is i'll instructed in the his
| tory OF nations who does not know that -eyo-
| lutions of this nature never go backward.
There is but one thing that can check the
| progress OF the policy inaugurated by the Peo-
| pies party, and that is the success of the Re-
| publican party in restoring prosperity TO the
| country under McKinley's ADMINISTERS ton.
majority of the people have accepted the
promises made by the orators and newspa pers
of the Republican party and have returned
the party to power under such favorable con-
ditions that it can probably do all that has
been promised; but II the people whose votes
have placed 1t in power shall meet with disap-
] pOintment ii will be a sorry day for the coun-
| try and the Republican party. AS PopuIisl
desire TO go on record here in favor of giving
| the new administration the fullest possible
structed by single Populist or Democratic
| vote in either branch OF Congress, that ii may
! have no excuse for failure to redeem its
| promises TO the country.
At the same time am free to confess that l
do not believe ii possl BILE, looking over the sit
uation OF the country from Popuist point of
view, Tor the Republican party 10 meet Its en-
gagements with the people who have placed it
IN power, for the simple reason that its policy
wi i not permit it 10 adopt such measures rs
viii secure the prosperity it has promised 1t
Is not necessary to charge bad faith to the
Leaders OF the party. and do not, but its poll
Icy will render its efforts futile to accomplish
the task II has undertaken to perform. In
deed, look for complete revolution in pub
Tic sentiment within two years and the eiec-
ton OF congress which Will demand the
enforcement OF the policy announced and
defended by the reform forces which met with
temporary defeat under the gallant leadership
OF BRYAN in the political contest Just closed
AT this time 1t is not necessary, and might
seem inappropriate. to enter upon sta tement
of the reasons which influence my judgment
in reaching this conclusion.
JOSEPH AsBURY JOHNSON
san francisco, November z. 1S06