Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-04-28
The Weekly Ledger.
TO FUSION.

During the past year or SO the Mex
leo LEDGER has been severely criti-
cised and its editor bitterly abused by
certain politicians on account of our
opposition to fusion on the State
ticket. The LEDGER has maintained
all the time that in order to have his
name placed on the Democratic ticket
a candidate should join the Democratic
party and take his chances with the
rest of the boys. This position Of the
LEDGER is now being strongly en-
dorsed by loyal and true Democrats
throughout the entire State. Along
this line the Howard County (Mo.)
Advertiser editorially says:
Hitherto the Advertiser has been
silent al to the question of the fusion
of the Democrats and Populists in Mis-
souri,. This silence has not been from
indifference to the proposition, nor
from lack of opinion as to the wisdom
or unwisdom of such a course, but
from a belief that, with its constituency
there was no special need of a discuss
ion of the subject. But as the subject
is one of general interest, and as the
time is nearing when a final disposition
of the question must be made, we feel
it due to our readers and to the pub
lie generally that we have an open
opinion.
The very existence of political par
ties ought to be conclusion of radical
differences of opinion and policy touch
ing real and vital questions of state.
II no such differences exist there
should be no separate party organiza-
tions. If such differences do exist, then
fusion is illogical and inconsistent.
No political party can fuse with anoth-
er without an implied confession OF
lack Of convictions and acknowledge
ment that spoils have more weight of
consideration than principles have.
Such confessions and acknowledge
ments are humiliating and demoraliz-
ing. Already there are too many par
tisans whose party zeal has no higher
inspiration than desire for success at
the elections and greed of spoiIs of
office. Fusion can tend only to a fos-
tering and further development of
this unintelligent and unpatriotic
spirit, and must result in degeneracy
of political thought and the weaken
ing Of party ties.
II Populists are without party con-
victions and prefer the Democratic
party to any other but their own, and
are willing to fuse with the Democrats,
they can well afford to abandon party
organization and come Internationally
into the organization of the Demo-
cratic party; if they 30 far differ from
the Democratic party as to justify sep
arate organization they cannot afford
fusion, for by SO doing they put them
selves against the possibilities of party
growth and future strength.
The Democratic party in Missouri
has no need of fusion with Populists.
1t ear carry the State without such
combination, and by so doing will es-
tablish and c~rystalize it's own strength;
while fusion would be the admission
OF doubt of party strength, and all
such admissions are elements of weak
ness and tend to disiutegration. Be-
sides this, there Is nothing fundamen-
tally common between the two parties.
To the contrary, the cardinal principles
OF Populism are antagonistic to the
principles, the history and the ira
dition Old Democracy; for Democracy to
fuse with Populism is a moral endorse
ment by Democracy of the heresies of
Populism. The effect of such endorse
ment Is to ~inoculate the Democratic
party with the virus of Populism.
The Advertiser has a well defined
and settled conviction that the Demo-
cratic party should studiously con-
serve its political integrity, and con-
tinue to commend itself to public con-
fidence by its sound craftsmanship
and uncorrupted, unquestionable pa
triotism.