The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-06-15

The fusion crowd in Minneapolis have
been claiming, all along, that Otter Tail
county was red hot for union with the
Democrats, that six yoke of oxen could
not hold them apart from rushing into
each others arms, with force enough to
smash their breast bones and damage
their bonnets. Mr.. Partridge of Fergus,
a very good, honest and able man, but
who never was Populist, but free-sil-
yer Republican, got up meeting some
time ago in that town, at which S. NJ
Owen spoke, and the reports that reach
ed us were that he had stampeded the
old iron-bound farmer Pops" head-fore-
most into the Democratic belly; and that
it was as mucn as plain mans life was
worth to oppose fusion with big f.
All thi, made us very sorry, and so We
wrote to one of the leading Populists of
the county, and a very honest man,
and asked him for information on the
subject He replied as follows: We
take the liberty Of inserting his name
for the influence it Will carry.
Henning, Mimi, May H. 1898
Hon. Ignatius Donnelly,
Dear Sir-Your most valued favor Of
the 29th received
You ask, if I think it is true, as they
are claiming that otter Tail county will
sustain fusion and follow Owen and
Bowler
My answer is: I don't believe it,
nay more; l am convinced that a big
majority of the Populists of this coun-
ty are decidedly against fusion with any
party; and in favor of a straight Populist
ticket from top to bottom. True, g
Norwegian CO paper at Fergus Falls,
entitled "Rodhuggeren'-you know it's
editor, l thinks and has been, ever
since last campaign, working hard for fu-'
sion--nay, pardonez moi, mean "honor-
able cooperation" but this paper has
on account of it's persistent fusion talk.
by degrees lost most of it's influence.
That such was the case had long sus-
pected, and my suspicious were last
Tuesday fully confirmed, when the paper
arrived, announcing that this was the
last issue of "Rodhuggeren," that it was
going TO practice what it had been
preaching; that it consequently had fus-
ed with Tier de JUL Dakota" and that
the two papers would be published at
Fargo.
'Rodhuggeren," when it first started
and for some time after, was an excel
lent staunch Peoples Party paper, but
all OF sudden it got caught with the
terrible Office fever; and this kind of
fever-sO the medicine men claim-will
sometimes very seriously affect the brail;
and especially that part of it, called the
visual center. so that the patients are
unable to see things in the right light:
yea, such patients are said to have lost
their heads entirely, and in Sweden they
say that person, who has lost his head
is good for nothing but to carry lumber.
1t is a noticeable fact, that a great
many who aspire for office within a re-
form party become fusionists. Why?
The reason is obvious. They are not
real reformers, but reformers for the
sake Of office only, and as they cannot
wait, until the party is strong enough TO
carry them into Office, in order to
strengthen their case, as they think, they
resort to fusion and all kinds of combi-
nations.
Meanwhile, if those mixtum-pixtum-
composition fellows should by hook or
crook and trickery and scheming sue
coed in carrying their point in the con-
ventions, they will find out, when the
votes are counted next November, that
they have been very badly fooled, or
rather that they had fooled themselves,
for do honestly believe that the Pop
ulists Of Minnesota, if they cannot have
q ticket of their own to vote, will either
not vote at all or vote with the Republi-
cans. Neither Owen nor Bowler nor
any other man can make a real Populis,
turn Democrat. Populists should make
M their minds, and think they have
done so, never again to put a cross (X)
sfter the name Of q candidate. who ID