The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-12-08
l.. G. LONG SAYS YES.

Elsewhere will be found a very con-
cises forcible and interesting letter from
L. G. Long, of Magnolia, urging presi
Dental nomination in 1898. He has GER
tainly put forward some very strong rea-
sons for such action by our party, and
Mr.. Longs we'll known zeal and thor
oughly Populistic principles should and
VIII lend much influence to what he
says. The Representative waits AN ex.
preston of opinion from just such men
in our party; men whose Populism, like
Mr. Longs, Is unquestioned and who
have the confidence of Populists at home
and throughout the state. 1t is time to
discuss this question and to determine it.
Like nearly all questions 1t has two sides
and it will meet some opposition. Some
will favor immediate organization and
two years educational campaign with
out nominating a presidential candidate
till the usual time. 1t may be urged that
the educational influences would be more
effective with no candidate in the field.
When a candidate Is once before the
people the halo surrounding the candi-
date often detracts from the Importance
of the principles for which that candi-
date stands. The campaign sort of de-
generates into contest between men
rather than more considerable COM
parison Of the platforms of principles.
1t is, perhaps, too often true that
candidates personality counts for more
than his party or platform principles.
In 1896 thousands Of Populists voted for
Bryan, who repudiated the coin re-
demption plank of the platform upon
which he stood. They voted for him, be-
cause as man, they believed him
patriot, a Populist and all right, but
the results in New York, Ohio, Iowa and
elsewhere show us the mistake of sup
porting a man irrespective of his plat
form and the body of his party support
ing that platform. However, patriotic
Bryan might be, in the end he would
have to conform to the platform of the
strongest faction of Democracy, which
at present, seems to be. Tammany Itl
may be urged with much force that VIC
take this same risk in putting up any
candidate so far in advance. It will
also be urged that two years of old party
criticism, ridicule and lying attacks
would be quite certain to prejudice, many
Populists against their own nominee and
create distrust, dissention and dissatis-
faction. To many it will seem much like
showing our hand before commencing
the game.
Ridicule has been a strong factor in
making some of our best and mos.
worthy Populists unpopular 1t is fire.
quently the case that a dark horse
makes the strongest run. Again it may
be urged that the mental and perhaps
also the moral strain incident to a two
years campaign would be too great for
our candidate. During two long years
of intense anxiety our nominee would
allowed sufficient time, educate rascality
ing hostility and on the other Offering
their support for Offices and favors with
in the gift of the president. The late
death of Henry George points to other
possibilities from such a strain, envir-
onments and high pressure will often, if
stand between men on one, side threaten
into an honest man, until he comes to
think it right to favor his friends at the
expense of the masses Our candidate
surrounded by millionaires pretending
friendship and proffering aid might