The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-12-29
FUSION IN MISSOURI,
How the Democrats Have Absorbed
the POpulists.

How the Democrats Have Absorbed
the Populists.
In a recent interview published in the
Cook, of the Missouri state Democratic
committee, tells how fusion has helped
the Democratic party of that state He
says:
AS a result of the fusion policy, the
Democracy absorbed large PERCENTAGE
Of the Populist vote. The Democratic
majority in the state was increased
over tidal wave year of '92 over 2OO,-
600. All the congressional districts in
the state, except the three ST. Louis
districts, were made reliably Demo-
cratic"
Sam seems to have it down about
right; the Democratic party has "ab-
sorbed' large percentage of Populists.
He then proceeds to tell what the Pop
ulists helped them to do as follows:
THE legislature, which had been Re-
publican two years before, was over
whelmingly Democratic in both
branches. All the Democratic counties
gave increased majorities, and dozen
or more counties in the state which
had never gone Democratic since the
war elected fusion tickets from top to
bottom. The question, of course, is full
Of deep concern for the Democracy,
and for the silver forces Of all parties"
Mr.. Cook then goes on to explain that
If the silver Republicans should go back
to their party and the Populsts should
decide to run a separate ticket it would
place the Democratic party in a very
desperate situation, and he thinks
something should be done to hold all
those forces together What's the
matter with allowing the Pops to norni-
nate ticket and then buying off the
candidates at $1,000 a head, as North
was bought off? What's the matter
with distributing offices around as in
the case Of Rozelle, North and Jones?
Does Mr.. Cook think these means will
fail next time? We think he need not
have any fears. The Populists are
very accommodating kind of people In
the spring Of 1896 they were warned
that they would be absorbed. The st.
Louis Republic said, in one of it's edi-
torials:
The silver Democrats expect to blot
the Populist party off the map this fall
hov cko
ured 1t out that 80 per. cent of the Pop
ulists voting in Missouri came original
ly from the Democratic party, and that
all these old time Democrats will re-
turn to the fold Whether right or
wrong in this assumption the silver
men propose to conduct the campaign
on this basis"
We republished that editorial and
shook it before the eyes of Missouri
Populists, as did the Missouri World
and other papers. But with all this the
Populists walked into the trap set for
them and seemed to enjoy it. And now
will come the tug of war to see where
they are at. They will now have
to make the fight that has been made in
Ohio, Kentucky and Iowa. When it is
over they will be able to see how many
of their forces have been absorbed"
They may expect opposition from the
Democratic party, as they are still need
ed to vote for the office seekers OF that
party. They will. when they under
take to assert their independence, be
called Hanmacrats and F'illeyites, and
everything else calculated to intimidate
them, but after the rotten deal made by
the Democrats with traitor Rozelle, we
shall be surprised if many are fright
tactics.-Morgan's Buzz Saw.