The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-09

Ideas or the body of the voters of New
York has totally disappeared A
machine of wonderful efficiency was
built up by Senator HILL and dictated
everything forsmany years. A machine
of even superior efficiency has been
built up by Boss Plat. and is now in
entire charge of every interest in that
state. The conscientious voter has
nothing left to him but to choose be-
tween the two. He can take the dose
offered him by Hill and Murphy, or
the dose offered by Platt and Lauter-
bach. He hasTno sother choice. 1t has
been proved impossible to call together
a party convention called Democratic
IN winch one does not predominant, or a
party called Republican in which the
other is not omnipresent The creation
OF a third party does not in the least
solve the difficulty This has been
proved by the history of Populism
The Peoples party grew out of a. rec
osmt1on by the voter Of just this situa-
ton. He was weary of the coquetting
OF two great parties with evils in gov
eminent with which both of them were
ready to strike a truce, and which
neither OF them sincerely attempted to
eliminate. But his method was impos-
slbie new party must simply follow
In the footsteps and share the fate of
the old. And so it has happened.
Where the Populist party has been sue
cessful, and has had offices and honors
ana emoluments to distribute, it, too,
mas become, even more rapidly than the
OLD organizations, machine and a tool
OF the spirits who get up in conven-
lions, make states, nominate candidates
and run things generally.
TO escape from this evil Of the time
we must devise a different method of
political organization. That method
| must consist in getting closer to the
| people themselves. They are to be
trusted. They are not always well in
formed, not always sagacious and pa
tlent and impartial, but they are al
ways true and always ambitious for
| better things. Just as most Of US have
concluded that the only chance to re-
form the United States senate is to get
IL closer to the people by popular, in
stead of legislative election, so we
must get the candidate, who is later to
become the ruler, closer to the people
by abolishing the dictatorship Of the con-
vention. In considering possible meth
DDS for reforming primary elections, we
have always held that the primary
would be actually reformed only when
1t was made a real election, with quail
| flied lists Of voters, official sanction,
penalties for fraudulent voting or re-
turns and the Australian ballot. Even
with all this done, reform would have
to take one step further back and deal
with the combinations, which even now
precede the primaries. The final rem
edy seems to require going to the foun-
oatlon or things and doing away as far
! as may be possible with all party ma
chimes, and getting at the wishes Of the
people at first hand
1t is in this line that the suggestion
OF GOV. Pingree becomes of great in
tefest and practical Importance. The
time will come when the party conven-
ton can no longer stand between the
people and their official servants. There
can be no thorough and enduring re-
form until we reach that stage That
party which shall take up this PROPOSE
ton and put it in practical shape and
make its appeal to public opinion will
be surprised at the result, and will be
the first to deserve the name of 1.-THE
Peoples party"