The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-11-23

In the last issue of THE American" Mr..
Bankers paper, we find some veIy interest
ing comments on the recent election. We
quote some extracts, and are sorry lack of
space prevents us from giving the whole
article.
Eight years ago the Peoples party was
formed by those men who saw in the SUI
premacy of the Democratic and Republican
partles nothlng but the downtreading of the
people and the appearing of the moneyed
oligarchy. They regarded both those old
parties with equal aversion felt that which,
ever one was supreme the moneyed oil
sarcny was served, that as long as the
people divided their votes between the DEM
ocratlc and Republican parties such votes
would be simply wasted, that it would be
as well to vote soidly for the support and
of the moneyed oIigarchy
ana Tor the grinding down and impoverish-
ing OF the multitude as to divide the vote
between Republican and Democratic par
ties "hen they both stood ready to serve
the moneyed oligarchy and when the su
premacy of either meant the supremacy of
mat OIgarchy. For to that olfgarchv
Whether Republicans beat Democrats or
democrats Republicans would make no diff
ference. Either way it would gain. So the
eople part was formed as means to
escape from the grasp of this oligarchy san
ping the profits of industry, the entern, ise
OF the people, the life blood of the nation
Anu as II daWned upon a suffering peop @
lhat vote cast for either Republican or
Oemocratlc party was simply vote cast
loi the strengthening, the ensconcing in
power. the enriching of the moneyed oil
garchy. the Peoples party grew: grew 40
the party of liberty opposed to the parties
OF onsarchy. as the party Of equal oppor-
tunltles opposed to the parties Of special
privileges and monopoly
ror nearly six years the Peoples party
went on gathering accretions. Then tho
foII
Mr.. cleveland and his policy of more firmly
!astening the gold standard upon the coun-
ny Inc moneyed olisarchy made no more
tian d spectacular resistance to this falling
away. NO eflectlVe effort was put forth to
stop this drift, the oligarchy seemed to rest
in such legarthy as is born only of a feeling
or absolute security until fnolly olsen
chanted and awakening, it was too late to
stop the drift
That the moneyed oligarchy should thus
rest IN lethargy while the Democratic party
was turning to the advocacy Of free silver
ana only awaken to, show active opposition
when too late to- make more than spec
tacular resistance WAS somewhat incompre-
nenslble. But 1t max be that it had deep
laid plans plans that contemplated the fall
ing away of the pemocratic party from the
sold falth that new and rising party a
party dangerous to the moneyed aligarchy
might be entrapped and destroyed If so,
those plans did not miscarry. At any rate,
the gold men were outvOted in the Demo-
cratic National convention, the supremacy
OF the moneyed olga,chy i'll the Democratic
party was seemingly. overthroWn. many
Populists were led to believe that the Dem
ocratic party would henceforth stand and
fight for what the Peoples party had been
organized to fight for, fight for the people
and against the 6moneyed oligarchy. they
were Won over to the fusion policy, to the
wrapping of the fortunes of the Peoples
I,
and that wrapping WAS accomplished, after
a bitter struggle, in the National Convention
of the Peoples party when it met at ST.
Louis in July. 1896 The Peoples party.
fighting in common with the Democratic,
lost it's identity. the allied forces went down
to defeat the Republican party triumphed
the moneyed oligarchy reigned supreme, the
Peoples party, it's rising and active enemy,
from which it had most to fear, was crush
ed, for the time being destroyed.
FUSION AND DUPLICITY REBUKED
THAT POPUL1SM MAY LIVE AGAIN.
: So the true Popu)ists in those states,
awakening to the saddening truth that the
Democratic party which they had been
supporting in national affairs in return for
Democratic support in state affairs was
much the serviter of the money oigarchy
as the Republican ,,arty, found themselves
left without a party. Naturally many dis
covering that they had been duped by place
seeking leaders into giving help to their
enemies, into aiding the Democrats
truer to the interests of the people than the
Republicans. felt deep resentment towards
those leaders who had used them to build
their own fortunes who had bartered away
the national interests of the Peoples party,
who had sacrificed the principles for which
the Peoples party stood, taught PopuistS
to look upon a party antagoniZing those
principles, the great demands of the Peo-
pes party worthy ally and friend to
gain offices for themselves. Thus having
been led to sacrifice their interests as Amer
lean citizens that their leaders might profit.
thus having been led astray and awaken
ing to the truth the desire to mete out de-
served punishment has burned deeply into
their hearts,
And this opportunity coming they have
awaited of it. They have struck down the
leaders who have played them false; by
their votes to the Republican
party they have voted them out of office.
relegated them to private life This have
they done, knowing full we'll that the Re-
publcans they have helped elect are not
their friends, not the friends of the reforms
they advocate but better an open enemy
than an enemy who processes friendship.
processes to champion the peoples cause
but holsters up party that is, as much
as the Repub.ica a ready Servitor of the
oligarchy. To give a death blow
to fusion and the political career of fusion
lists they have voted the RepuDUCan tickets,
not because they relished giving their votes
to their political enemies, for they hated he
a necessity to which the fusion
policy, leaving them without party, had
reduced them, but because thrs was the
choice of two evils and they chose the less
err. OF course there were many unable or
to make such choice, to choose
two evils. who in utter disgust
and longing for a better day, day when
fusion of the Peoples party with the en-
emics of the people would be dead, and the
opportunity to vote for candidates of the
peor,e, representing the tenets of Populism,
and refusing to sacrifice those tenets for
office would be given, refused to vo at all.
SO it is that the fusionists of Kansas and
Nebraska and South Dakota-and we might
call them Democrats inaSm1ch as they al
ways act with the Democrats, and Chair
man Kerr, of the Democratic congressional
comm ttee, always speaks of them
as I'VE" as part of the Democratic party
have met with signal defeat. Even in Ne
braska, where the fusioniSts were running
a most estimable man. and one of the early
converts to Populism for governor. the Re-
publicans carried the legislature though
failing to elect their state ticket. The
faint of fusion rested upon Poynter and ii
was all that he could carry.
Boycott the Gold Press.