The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-05-25
OWEN NOT A CANDIDATE.

OWEN NOT CANDIDATE.
His Fusion Friends Have Thrown I'm
the Sponge and r. j. Cation, the
Probable Nominee of the Fifth Dis
trict.
During the winter and spring the pluto
dailies, the Times, Journal and Tribune
of Minneapolis, have been full of inter-
views with so-called prominent Popu-
lists" prominent leaders of the Peo-
pies party" leading Peoples party
men," etc.
These interviews have invariably rep
resented the fusion faction as all there
was Of the Populist party in Minnesota,
the fusion leaders in Minneapolis as the
only true and trusted leaders in the par
ty and the midroad or Independent Pop
ulists as an insignificant, inconsequent-
al, unprincipled minority. Neither Of
these papers could ever be induced to
give up the name of it's informant. It
was finally observed that the phraseolo-
gy of the Journal interviews was on fire.
quent occasions identical with the Ian
guage Of the Progressive Age, and Of
course this settled their authorship. The
devil is sometimes discovered by tho
tracks of his cloven feet.
It was further noted that The Times
was Democratic sheet and never quot
ed any true Populists, that E. r. Lynch
was holding Democratic Office and that
on the subject of fusion the political eff
fluvia from E. R. Lynch and The Times
always had the same smell. The Times
stood convicted by the smell Of its
breath and passed the onion dish over
to The Tribune, from which we quote,
Sunday edition, May ed, as follows:
The average office seeker is not anxious
to be offered up sacrifice for the bene-
fit Of his fellow patriots, and 1t would not
be surprising If it was found difficult to
find enough patriots IN the combined ranks
of the three parties to fill the positions On
the various tickets. This is not mere idle
talk. It is the opinion expressed by some
Two months ago they were confident Of a
fighting chance in the county and state.
About two weeks ago they began to weak
en-, and now they have practically thrown
up their hands.
John Lind's name will not be brought
before the fusion party at the next con-
vention, if they have their way" said a
prominent local Populist "Lnd's real
friends do not care to force him to the
front at time when success is practically
impossible, and certainly improbable. It
may be that they will be out numbered by
those who cannot see the practical side OF
the matter and insist that he be again their
leader, but I want to tell them that they
are not his true friends. Mr.. Lind is a
poor man, and not able to stand the finan-
cial drain which repeated campaigns bring
upon him. He did not wish to be the can
didate in 1896, and l should not be sur
prised if he refused positively to accept any
nomination this year. If there was some
assurance of success the case would be diff
ferent But under the circumstances l be-
Heve no one can blame him for keeping en-
trely out Of the fight
1t is not alone in the state that Demo-
.cratic-Populist party is apt to run shy of
good material for candidates. In the
Fifth congressional district the same trou-
BILE is liable to handicap them The gentle
men who have been active in bringing out
s. NJ Owen as a candidate have suddenly
changed front, and now declare that they
shall not oppose the nomination of T. J.
Cation, although they are just as bitter
against Cation as they ever were. "Owen
is too good a man to be continually put
up candidate when the chances of sue
cess are no better than at present." said
of them. He has loyalty made these
political fights in the past, and has never
been successful, although one Of the best
vote-getters in the party. l was for Owen
for congress this year until only about a
nr,d r dntv, hast TO- fnv
ward his nomination 1 do so no longer.
1t is a sure defeat that stares in the
face. and l am willing to let Mr. Cation
have the nomination and gain all the no.
toriety he can from it. One thing is GER
tain. He can never be elected. 1t is good
chance to slaughter him. too good to be
passed by
The Tribune was evidently somewhat
puzzled over this abandonment of S. M.
and John Lind and sudden change of
front on the part of E. R. Lynch, par
don our calling names, we should have
said "a prominent Populist."
The editor of The Tribune on his own
account then soliloquizes as follows:
Republicans should not congratulate
themselves too profusely even if the above
should prove to be what is actually trans
pirng within the Populist ranks While it
is admitted that Mr.. Owen is a formidable
candidate, yet it is possible that Mr.. Cation
will prove no less So Mr.. Cation is a stump
speaker of more than average ability, and
a very plausible individual withal and
stranger things have happened than that he
should be successful.
1t is quite possible that The Tribune
editor has had prophetic vision. He
has likely noted the further facts that
Mr.. Cation is a young, rising, business
man, that he is at present and has been
for some years devoted to the interests
of a business college; that he has never
been up for any Office; that should he
now be the party's nominee it will be
upon call of the party rather than the
push OF himself Populists are seeking
men for responsible offices who possess
the modesty, the good sense and the pc
litical decency to wait for such call rath-
er than men whose chief qualifications
are egotistical assurance and gall. In
future the Peoples party will give more
heed to that wholesome political maxim,
that ''the Office should seek the man"
Chronics, wornout politicians and old
party castaways will be the last to re-
ceive a call. Mr. Cation IS young man,
but Minnesota has not In recent years
AoS hill nnk ock{ ov.I 80