The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-09-15
SHOULD WE DO ITf

SHOULD WE DO ITs
A friend has sent US copy OF the
Albert Lea Standard, of the 25th ult.
with the following article marked:
I'm letter to the editor of the Standard,
Maj }. Nj Bowler ono of the modest
Romans Of them ALL" in speaking of the
chief actors in the calling and holding of
the Nashville conference says: THE Stand
ard is sound and right to the point. Some of
our friends seem more interested in having
party than in securing success of the
principles and cause advocate For my
part want to see the plutocrats put out Of
power free coinage of silver 16 to l. cleaner
methods in government. national
and state and in politics. equal
rights for all and special privi-
leges for none. and other things
OF like nature, all or part Of these as we
are able to secure by getting together in
IL sensible way and working for them in
practical ways. l have time for spar
ring 70" position or for contentious within
party lines but have lots of blows left for
the common enemy. Things are bound to
| come the peoples way These the
words CT a patriot and they furnish the
only platform for honest, wise and
| upsefish eformer.''
| Now, in all kindness, we would say
that Major Bowler's views seem to us
| dICOS6tner wrong.
He says:
! Some Of our friends seem more inter-
ested in having a party, than in secur-
! ing success Of the principles and cause
we advocate"
If this means anything it means that
we are to abandon the Peoples Party!
But as nothing can be achieved in the
politics of this country or any other,
except by an orgaization, or party Of
those who think alike and propose to
vote together; if we destroy the Peoples
Party we must find some other party to
carry out our purposes What shall
it be? Surely not the Republican party,
for that has been the parent Of the
abuses Of which we complain. Then
there is nothing left but the Democratic
party. Therefore fair Interpretation
of Major Bowler's utterance is that we
must abandon the Peoples Party and
turn Democrats.
If we are not to be interested in hav-
ing party" then we must let the party
and it's "prejudices" slide; and get up
an interest" in some other party, to
wit: the Democracy.
Our columns are open to the major if
we have not fairly interpreted his views
If all the Democrats of the United
States were like the leading reform
| Democrats of Minnesota, and they asked
us to unite with them, the majors prop
ositiOn, to give up our own party might
not be so abhorrent to us. But when the
Democrats of Ohio, Virginia, Colorado,
Maryland, and all the other Southern
states, have soornfully repudiated all
alliance with Populism: and when, in
our neighboring state of Iowa, they re-
| fuse to meet us halfway in new party,
! but insist that we must call ourselves
: Democrats before we can cooperate with
! them; it seems to us the majors pro-
| pOsal involves not only the death of our
own party, but the personal humiliation
and degradation of each one Of us.
The major does not even propose that
the Peoples Party should divide the
state ticket, in 1898, with the Democrats,
as we did last year, our party main
tanning its separate existence and iden-
tity; but he wants us to stop taking any
interest" in the Peoples Party; aban-
doning our own ship and floating off
on raft of platitudes for the port of
| Nowhere.
OF course the major has right to his
| OpiniOnS-every man has-but we cannot
believe he represents any large part Of
the membership of the Peoples Party
If he does we are very sorry, for it
means the end Of reform in this state
There are many noble gentlemen in the
Democratic party of Minnesota; but we
do not think Major Bowler, as an old
Democrat, appreciates the deep hostility
there is, especially among the Scandina-
Wan populations of this state, against
Democracy, growing out of it's record
in the past during the war, etc. Cleve-
land has been enough to damn any
party-even Bryan can scarcely sweeten
the mess he left behind him.
Instead Of the Populists giving up
their organization and making the fight,
in this state, to overcome that $4,000
Republican majority, in the name of
Democracy, it would be wiser for the
Democracy to fall into line under the
banner of the Peoples Party.
We have no i'll will towards Major
Bowler; but it would be we'll for Popu-
lists to counsel together now, when no
campaign is on, and see what is the
best course to be pursued. If the Peo-
pies Party Is to be dissolved some Of
us will have to prepare place of refuge
where we can get together and own the
roof over our own heads. I'D.
| PROSPERITY AND POPULISM,
We were told, when Kansas went