The representative., 1897-10-20
DRAWING THE LINE.

Judge Willis, of ST. Paul, a very able
and honest man, has recently written a
letter to the st. Paul Globe in answer
to the demand Of the gold Dem ocrats
to come back into the party and rule it.
The judge strikes from the shoulder in
the following very emphatic manner:
The forces led by Bryan last year are so
Jealous in the popular cause, so earnest in
their desire to relieve the people from the
gigantic wrongs of trust-domnation gov
ernment by Injunction and vaue-destroy-
ing finance, that they cannot countenance
coWardice ncr even hesitancy in the avowal
of the principles for which they contend
They are sincere. They will not ALLOW
counsels of expedency to silence the ora
cles of reform. They prefer defeat to in
constancy or Inconsistency. Therefore, the
Democracy, instead of welding itself to-
gether by adopting, in the municipal cam
paign, declarations non-committal as re-
CARDS the Chicago platform, would lose it's
| allies in the Peoples party and the silver
Republican party and would behold the
ruin of it's prospects in the candidacy of a
man who. like Henry George dwells in
| the temple of conscience rather than in the
tent OF lShmael and prefers the lean pro-
vender of private frugality to the flesh pots
that console the victim of Egyptian bond
age.
In studying facts. plain and not so plain.
| 1t seems to me that the Democracy should
mark, learn and inwardy digest the fact
that to allow the Palmer Ruckner fragment
of Democracy to dictate to the other nine
teen-twer lieths of the party a surrender
of principles, would be dishonorable and
suicidal A party is an association of in
dividuals protesting the same beliefs and
actuated by a desire to administer govern
nnpnt in 9ccOrd1 wi AS q
party the Democracy has a creed If it had
no creed it would not be party. If it ig-
nores it's creed it does either through
shame OF by reason of that cOwardice often
euphemstically termed "expediency." Let
US not be ashamed o. our principles. Let us
not be lacking in the courage of conviction.
If any citizen shall prefer to foster base
ness and inefficiency of local government
about which he complains rather than to
unite with those who are prepared to sup
ply a remedy, such a man is not desirable
ally nor formidable as a foe.
l hope that the next Democratic munic-
ipal convention WILL after stating the pol
icy OF the party with reference to the gov
ernment of the city, pronlulgate declara
tion to this effect:
ITO execute this policy and to institute
these reforms. we advance, clad in armor Of
a righteous cause.-the great of BIZ
metallism. We reanirm the Chicago plat
form of 1896 We recognize as the chief
tain of Democracy, as the worthy successor
of jefferson, Jackson and Tilden, that he
roic patriot and popular tribune, William
Jennings Bryan.
There is magnificent moral to be learn
ed from LowelIs glowing lines:
'Then to side with Truth is noble when we
share her wretched crust
Ere her cause bring fame and profit and
tbs prosperous to be just:
Then it is the brave man chooses while
the coward stands aside,
Doubling in his abject spirit, till his Lord is
Crucified."
We are glad to see this communica-
ton. 1t shows that there is at least
one prominent Democrat who is earnest
and sincere in his defense of the peo-
| ple'S cause T. D.