The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-04-28
VOLUME FIVE.
~.
The Past and the Future.


five of THE REPRESENTATIVE.
We cannot help looking backward
over the past four years of the exis-
tence of this paper.
It was forced into existence by the
treachery of Doctor E. w. Fish, who,
in two campaigns, 1890 and 1892, sold
out himself and his paper, The Great
West" to the enemy for few thousand
dollars. The friends of reform clearly
perceived that it would be folly to make
campaigns simply to increase the price
which the doctor could get from the
Republicans We perceived that we
had to either give up all effort to fight
injustice in this state or start news
paper of our own, that would not be
forever in the market for sale to the
highest bidder
Before we could print our first num-
Der the doctor, who saw what was COM
ing, opened his batteries upon US, and
sought to kill THE REPRESENTA-
TIVE in the very act of 'borning." His
abuse was shocking and continuous. If
his power had been equal to his malice
this paper would never have seen the
light of day.
He entered the Alliance convention
of January, 1893, and, with the help
of S. M. Owen, made a terrific assault
upon us, and sought to have the as
semblage rebuke and repudiate us; so
that this paper should not be establish
ed and that his corrupt sheet might
reign supreme monarch of the shambles.
We did not desire to publish paper.
We had many more lucrative employ
ments, to which we were devoted. But
we saw that the money power was de-
termined that the people should not
have an organ. Our sense of justice was
aroused, and our combativeness came
into play. We believed the country was
going to the devil with kangaroo leaps.
We felt that it would be crime before
high heaven to make no protest against
the ruin of civilization and the over
throw of free institutions. And so, I'M
willingly, reluctantly, we SHE'D our cas-
tor into the ring, and since then we
have fought it out
In 1894 S. M. Owen was nominated for
governor by the Populists, and we were
laboring to elect him; but circulars
! were sent out from the office OF
Farm, Stock and Home" Mr.
Owens paper, the auspices of the
state central committee of the
Peoples Party. to get UP weekly
subscriptions for an unborn daily and
weekly paper which was to have been
controlled when established by Chica-
go banker, gold-bug and millionaire
named John r. Walsh. We did not OBJ
ject to any man or corporation starting
a paper. daily Or weekly; but we did not
think the machinery of the party we
had done so much to create, by twenty
five years of labor, should be used to
overthrow the newspaper into which we
had put so much money and toll. But
S. NJ. Owen was determined that not
that The Representative should die, and
we be driven out of the party.
But this paper survived that cunning
ly contrived attack, and Mr.. Owen was
not elected governor. His illiberal and
narrow spirit, his indisposition to Give
and let live;" his desire to strike down
even those who were supporting him
threw such floods of light upon the in
nermost character Of the man, with its
cold-blooded selfishness, that he los:
thousands Of yotes,--and yet he was
nearer success than he ever will be
again.
Another campaign came two years af-
forwards, 1896; and again the malign
! influence of S. M. Owen manifested it.
self. The Peoples party of the whole
| state demanded that our name should be
F.! put forward as Minnesota's choice fol
! the presidential nomination. Without
| solicitation on our part five out Of the
seven congressional district conventions
| of the Peoples party instructed theil
! delegates to support us at St. Louis
Among these was the delegation from
Hennepin county. We never raised oul
| finger. We never asked any man tt
vote for us. But when we got to ST
| Louis we found Owen had engineered &
cabal against us. Not satisfied to refuse
! to obey the instructions given them by
their constituents they proceeded to de
priye us of even the small honors O.
membership on committees. We hal
been on the committee on resolutions il
the Omaha convention of 1892, and ha(
written the greater part of the famou!
| platform Of that body. In 1896 Mr.
Owen had been nominated for congress:
in the Fifth district, but, not satisfied
with the prospective honors and large
emoluments Of that Office, he proceeded
to crowd us off the committee on reso
lutions and the national committee. This
was done to humiliate us in the face O.
, the nation.
And subsequently his friends, who
i were at that time running the Penny
Press, filled the newspapers of Mime
! 0nO1ia with villa roDrocontoti0po Of Al.