The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-11-17
FUSION.

Points to Be Considered Before De-
Gliding This Important Question.
There is no short cut to fortune AL
though the truths of the Peoples party
are fast growing popular, SO that it is
no longer nearly so hard as formerly
even in the face of great odds, to fight
for them, yet men are already, previous
ly, asking if it is not now time to step
into the offices. Perhaps the last battle
is near being fought. But it is much 20
be hoped that the splendid purpose Of
the Peoples party shall not be wrecked
on the spoils system. A government
for and by the whole people cannot be
obtained by men meeting together and
vide the offices. The people are already
tired of that sort of thing in the old
parties. They certainly will not toler-
ate the hypocracy Of turning the ras-
tentions to reform. Some of these fus-
ionists remind one of lazy school boys.
who, just before solving the problem
OF equal rights" run to their big broth
ers, Bill Democrat or Bill Republican,
asking their aid, and then they fight to-
gether to see who shall get the credit.
They have none of the wisdom of the
apostle Paul who says, o, Populists, BE
not yoked unequally with unbelievers,"
democrats and Republicans, what
communion hath light with darkness?"
Others seem Over-sanguine and in their
eagerness to subdue injustice are blind
to the ordinary laws Of human progress.
They believe in miracles. Bless their
simple confiding natures, they would
entrust their most important errand to
their old enemy, the Republican or DEM
ocrat. Ii either comes with an hypo-
critical smile and specious outward
show of friendship. Remember it is not
so easy for leopard to change his
spots. Our orators, who have always
excoriated the old parties, are now CIV
ing themselves the lie, when they favor
fusion. That wise old devil, the money
power, having failed to dwarf the Peo-
pies party with ridicule, now in fear as
he listens to the oncoming muttering of
countless hosts, an irresistible army of
wronged and oppressed people, has TAX
en- his only mode of defense by setting
brother against brother, by foolish fiat
tering offers, by false spies by hostages
of silver.
The war now on is greater than that
of the rebellion. This is a war to free
both the white and black slaves and
consequently far more effort is called
for. 1t is easy to swap principles, easy
to fuse ideas into a common platform
on which to drift into Office, when there
is no initiative and referendum with
Imperative mandate, compelling those
elected to do as they promised before
election; or when, if they do, the courts
will not uphold them. But let the real
refOrmer remember that a political party
can no more suddenly change it's whole
past nature than a man can. In au-
vising for or against fusion we should
not be Influenced by what a few we'll
intentioned Democratic or Republican
individuals may say, but only by the
historical whole of their respective part
les. And what that history has been
that the party will certainly continue to
be irrespective of what individuals in
those parties may do or say. Such in
dividuals do not dictate the policies Of
their parties. The real inside history
of those parties is dictated by the Tam
NAMES, Mark Hannas and Platts of our
great cities. They are in turn controlled
by the monopolies which the Peoples
party so earnestly desires to hand over
to the government. Therefore l ask
how can parties holding such divergent
views fuse with each other? The Dem
ocratic and Republican party alike
through their rings believe that it is
not wrong for any man, company or
monopoly to accumulate without restric-
ton any amount of land means of trans
portation, or power over labor, yes, and
even ~ nocoqaarv to onforoo o,.oh roxrc,