The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-06-22

bers of it, on the witness stand, and
they testified that he made that speech.
He will not deny it now.
Think of Populist that would oppose
the Initiative and Referendum and then
lie about it,!
In 1898 he made speech after speech.
and wrote article after article. declaring
that it made no difference what name
or banner we marched under; and he
wrote to Mr. Ullrich, ST., of Douglass
county that he, Owen, was trying to ed
ucate and perfect the Democrats so
THAT WE COULD ALL MARCH UN-
DER THEIR BANNER!
And now he is indignant because
say he Is not faithful member of the
Peoples Party. Can man be true
Populist, and labor to turn the party
over to Democracy? Was that what it
was established for?
Was l not right to oppose him at ev-
cry stage of all these vagaries? If l
had not done so WOULD WE HAVE A
PEOPLES PARTY TODAY? Should
I have allowed the party to die to avoid
hurting Mr.. Owens feelings:
What is Populist?
He is man who believes in green
backs; in the ratio of 16 to L; in the
free coinage of silver; in the initiative
and referendum, and in the Peoples
Party. These are the cardinal traits Of
our faith. How can man oppose every
one of them, as Mr.. Owen has done,
year after year, and yet be Populist?
1t is impossible.
And yet now, before the Peoples
Party convention, he assails me saw
agely, because 1 stood by all our prin-
ciples, and would not permit him to
lead the party to the devil. That was
my offense, and for that have I been
traduced and slanderad and covered
with lies and infamy.
He says l was hostile to him in 1890.
In that year he got up state central
committee, and every man on it, ex-
cept one. was my enemy. 1 offered to
go out and make speeches for Mr.. Owen,
for governor, at my own expense. The
committee refused my assistance Later
In the campaign Mr.. Erwin invited me
to accompany him; we held tremendous
meetings, and did great good to the
cause. And now he says 1 was hostile
to him!
Gentlemen, do not want to take up
more of your time. If there is anything
else in Mr.. Ovens assault that I have
not replied to, be good enough to call
my attention to 1t. If you have any
questions to ask me will answer them
to the best of my ability. AS there are
no questions 1 will thank you for your
courteous attention and take my seat
We are not going to assail Mr.. Owen
now. His speech did him inconceiva.
BILE harm. 1t was a revelation to the
whole convention. Like "the yelled
prophet Of Khorassen,' in Tom Moore's
"Lalla Rookh," he tore away the veil
that had concealed the hideous malig-
nifty of his mind. and stood naked be-
fore the shocked and astonished world
They looked into the dark abyss Of his
sOul-dark as the mouth of the great pit
and charity could suggest but one ex-
cuse-approaching insanity. Thereto
fore he had employed his hirelings to-
shoot his poisoned arrows from cum
ming ambush, while he posed as a pas
sionless and sinless saint; but there he
stood before the bowling multitude,
with hatred and jealousy, and swollen
with the accentuated venom Of years,
while in the words of Byron, he did
"Distort the truth, accumulate the lie,
And pile the pyramid Of calumny."
It was a dreadful and melancholy
sight. Even while he denounced us we
pitied him. We beheld the wreck Of
human life. Scorpion like, in his
fierce and illimitable hate, he plunged
his poisoned fangs into his own car
cass. 1t may be months and years
before the corpse is inferred, but he died
then and there.
The most striking feature of this ia
nous debate was, that although s. NJ.
Owen sat on the platform near us, he
made not the slightest attempt to con-
tradict or explain away, or answer any
of our charges. Z He was dumb. He
acknowledged the truth Of every word
we uttered
He came there to destroy us, and he
sat there crushed. We used no abuse,
no invective, no insults. We simply
stated facts, but they fell upon him with
the weight of mountain.
Thank God we are through with him.
Never again will he take part in a
Populist state convention. He will go
over to the Democrats, and they will
not want him. He will be but she'll
"a Renaissance of the past.
Cali else is gone from those dim eyes
The soul has fled;
When faith is lost, when honor dies,
The man is dead.
'"Then pay the reverence Of old days
To his dead fame;
Walk backward with averted gaze,
And hide his shame!"