The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-12-14
AFTER THE BALLOT
SUMMING UP THE RESULTS OF THE
ELECTION.

N---r
ELECTION.
Voters Still Vote the Old Party Tickets
Without Really Knowing Why
Lots of Education Needed
Before the Right VIII
Win.
"Spit in your hands and take a fresh
hold
That is what the Peoples Party will
have to do.
After being almost disorganized by
the false promises of the Democratic
politicians who made us believe that
they would carry out our principles, the
Peoples Party was practically stranded
when they discovered the treachery of
the Democrats in ignoring the Chicago
platform in the Wisconsin state con-
vention.
In many counties they had allowed
their organization to go by default and
even in Milwaukee county the party was
very much demoralized
The task of reorganization was gil
gantic one-it was almost equivalent to
the upbuilding of a new party.
If under these circumstances the
Populists polled 2,643 votes in Mil
waukee county for Mr.. A. A. Worsley,
their candidate for governor, they have
nothing to regret-it was a very good
vote for what was practically a new be-
ginning
AS to the future of the Peoples Party:
1t will pass through the same stages as
every reform party, the Republican
party among the rest.
Before the war the old parties
Wings and Democrats-raised all kinds
of fake issues to detract attention from
the gigantic wrong upheld by the slave
power, which controlled the destinies
of the nation.
But with the strange perversity of
the reformer-knowing they were right
the advocates of the abolition Of
slavery kept up the fight against the
most monstrous wrong of the time.
They were blackguarded, abused,
branded, tarred and feathered, shot and
hanged, by Judge Lynch, but opposition
only made them more dogged and per
sistent.
The candidate of the Liberty party,
James G. Birney, received only 1863
votes in the presidential election of 1910.
same candidate in 1874.
The advocates of slavery became
more aggressive than before. They
passed laws more infamous than ever.
What was practically a repeal of the
Missouri compromise was enacted in the
disgraceful fugitive slave law" The
fight against slavery became more bit
ter and in advance of the presidential
election of 1S48, ''free soil'' party was
formed as stated by one historian per-
haps the most heterogeneous political
organization ever known in the United
States. It embraced old time Democrats
and dyed-in-the-wool Wings and the
abolition liberty party almost as a
whole
They nominated Martin Van Buren,
and he received POI ,626 votes.
Then compromises were the order of
the day. Alternately one state was ad-
mitted "slave" another free" An "era
Of good feeling" that is today called
apathy" prevailed and in 1852 the free
soil party came down to 1856, ,149 votes eor
John P. Hale.
Then, of course, the party was said to
be dead.
All of the old party politicians said
so and of course believed it to be true.
Was not the slavery question settled
by congress by all sorts of compromises,
and eliminated from politics?
Had not the people spoken at the polls
and gone back on the cranky fellows
who declared for free soil, free men
and free speech?"
Why, just think how the old parties
had squelched the new! Here is what
the pot-hunting politicians of those days
who crawled on their bellies before the
slave power, even as our modern pro-
fessional politicians are doing today be-
fore the money power, solemnly declar-
ed in their national platforms:
The Democrats said in their platform
of 1852:
All efforts of the abolitionists or
others made to induce congress to inter-
fere with questions of slavery
are calculated to lead to the most alarm
ing and dangerous consequences
endanger the stability and perma 1iancy
of our union and ought not to be coun-
tenaced by any friend of our political
institutions.
The Whig party went further in its
subserviency to the slave power. 1t de-
clared in the same campaign.
That the series of acts of the thirty
second congress, the act known as the
fugitive slave law included, are received
and acuuioSoed nv the Whje nartv Of tho