The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-06-01

LOGIC.
Hon. Milton Park, editor of Southern
Mercury, is a staunch, Simon pure Popu-
list. He is doing perhaps more than
any other one man to keep the great
state Of Texas out of the tolls of new
Democracy and in line for genuine Pop
ulistic reform.
For this great service he merits the
gratitude of the whole party north as
well as south and the best that Texas
by her votes could give.
We are sorry to see Brother Park try
ing to prop up the broad platform of
Populism with the narrow logic of part
izanship. When a mans logic is as
broad or broader than his platform the
probabilities are that eventually his
platform will be made still broader The
tendency is toward advancement, to-
ward the constructive.
When mans logic is narrower than
his platform something like the reverse
is true. The tendency then is to COM
press the platform enunciating the
broadcast principles of political reform
within the narrow confines Of partizan-
ship. In the Southern Mercury of
May 26, we find the following:
''If Debs, and Parsons, and Pomeroy,
and Altgeld, and Bryan, and Harvey,
and Pingree, and Waite, and Pennuyer,
are really in earnest for relief for the
people, let them with the socialists,
the Single Takers, the Social Democra-
cy, the prohibitionists and every other
pretended or real friend to the masses,
align themselves with the Peoples Party.
The Peoples party is broad enough to
hold all Of them; it's platform is broad
enough for all Of them to stand on"
Let us suppose that Mr.. Debs should
make this same claim of broadness for
the Social Democracy, Mr.. Parsons and
Mr.. Pomeroy the same claim of broales
ness for the Brotherhood of Co-opera-
tive Commonwealth, Mr. Harvey the
same claim for the patriots of America.
ex-Gov. Pingree for the Silver Republic
cans and Altgeld and Bryan for the new
Democracy.
The platforms upon which De5s, and
Parsons, and Pomeroy, and Harvey
stand are as much broader than the
Populist platform as our platform is
broader than the platform of Pingree,
Altgeld, and Bryan. Partizan enthusi-
in 80
makes pupil of the intermediate grade
imagine himself in the graduating class.
A glance at the various platforms re-
veals the fact that all platforms as
broad or broader than ours indorse the
principle of the referendum which de-
mands that all suggested reforms shall
have an equal and fair chance before a
popular vote of the masses.
Thousands Of Republicans and Demo-
Gratis who believe socialists and Popu-
lists are political fanatics see and admit
the fairness of the referendum. They
feel certain that Populism would be
turned down by popular vote and from
a spirit Of fairness are willing to make
the test. They are willing to do more.
They are willing to so change our sys-
tenn that at any future time any reform
that the people may become educated up
to may be submitted to a referendum
vote. In fact very few people can be-
found in any party who are not willing
to take their chances on their particular
political creed being pronounced the true
political gospel on the test of refer
endum vote.
In view of this political situation
in recent issues of The Representative
under caption of "a New Deal" we pro-
posed union or cooperation of reform
ers amounting to an amalgamation of
such reformers into a new party based
upon this referendum principle upon
which they all seem agreed and such
few other planks or demands as in a
popular convention of prominent reform
leaders could be agreed upon. If any
proposed reform met opposition, throw
it out and let the referendum determine
its fate.
This seemed to us fair feasible and
| practical but it met criticism from Bro
Park as fusion movement
| Mr.. Parks in common with all anti
| fusionists has ably opposed fusion on
the ground that it so trimmed and mar
rowed our platform that thousands of
POpulist voters could no longer stand
upon it but fell back into the old parties
or into socialism and our forces
were thus scattered instead of increased
and in such contention we believe he
was right. We were, however, unable
to see how Mr.. Parks could logically
and consistently criticize a new deal
broad enough to embrace not only his
| gospel according to the Omaha and St.
| Louis platform but broad enough to give
also popular hearing to the broader
and more advanced claims of socialism,
and movement at the same time Sc
ductive enough to win the assent of the
old parties that their pet tenets of CAP
italism be submitted to the final arbitra-
ment of popular vote.
We are in full accord with Mr.. Parks
declaration that our platform is broad
enough for all to stand upon"
With Mr.. Parks we have to the best al