The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-03-16
A MIGHTY STRUGGLE.

Dear EdttOr-We are now approach nS
the most important campaign ever wit
messed in the magnificent commonwealth
of Minnesota. In addition to the election OF
a governor and a legislative ticket, elect
district judges and three and possibly four
justices of the supreme court. Think of it.
The grinding heel OF plntocracy is prepar-
ing for mercilesS onslaught. The money
power in it's remOrseless greed is looking
forward to a mighty and desperate struggle
The coming campaign means everything to
them With the district court and the su-
preme court presided over by the willing
tools and we'll paid hirelings of monopoly,
will be powerless and at their mercy,
even though should elect our governor
and legislative ticket. We can defeat the
organized money power in this state in the
coming campaign, from governor down.
from top to bottom. If fail it will be
due to treachery or Acknowledgement or
both Am | right, Mr. Editor? How are We
to accomplish this? Will it be by saying to
Charley Towne, John Lind ct al: Away
you Silverites; we will have nothing to do
with you renegade-tramp Republicans?'
Will it be by saying to the Bryan Demo-
cratss of the state: Get out: begone with
your following; We hate the name Demo-
GRAFT and will have nothing to do with
your Will it be by meeting in conventions
and resolving that we shall refuse to CO.
operate with the "silver forces" that we
are Populists and ''roaders" and otherwise
the general public? Brethren think of it.
The average Republican or old line Demo-
crat knows little about the teachings
and principles of the Peoples party as the
average Catholic, Lutheran or Method st
knows about the teachings of theosophy
Christian science modern spiritualism.
What then would you think of respectable
society of theosOphists, scientists pro-
gressive spiritualists would meet and re-
solve that they desire Catholics Lutherans,
Methodsts and all others to keep away?'
Would you think they were overly anxious
for their society to flourish? If they did
So would you call the "niddle-of-th
roaders?"
Prof Cation. s. NJ. Owen and other Popu-
list orators addressed large and enthusiastic
meetings over the state in the last cam
paign, and thousands Of Old time Democrats
and Silver Republicans went out from those
meetings smiling and cheering. They had
heard the gospel of truth they had never
heard it before. They said Those ora
tors were waited upon and paid for their
services by Bryan Democrats and Silver
Republicans. Who would have paid these
orators and who would have gone to listen
to them if we had been running q little
Pop bankrupt sideshow) compaign of cur
| own? These orators reached thousands
familiar with our teachings, and in this
way they did effective work in spreading
the sacred doctrine of POpulism We need
to spread our doctrine. They helped us do
it. They paid lots of bills in the last
campaign They will do so again if
treachery jealousy AMI mismanagement
does not interfere. There good traits
about POpulists. The average Populist is
aggressive and full of combativeness. He
is a 'scrapper." 1 haven't written this for
the purpose of getting into a scrap with
one, but l would like to have any one show
wherein were not used fairly by the
Silver Republicans and Bryan Democrats
in our last campaign in this state. And
also. why it will not be wise and for the
best for us to cooperate with them again
in the coming campaign? Will some road
er" please give us his reasons for the
faith within him? Yours kindly and fra
ternally T. S. FISK
Fairmont, Mimi
Some months ago we had some CORE
| spondence with the writer Of the fore
going letter and we believe him to be
| earnest and honest in his desire for po-
| litical reform From the above letter,
| however, it is evident that his reasoning
| is along the same lines as all those So
called cO-operatOrs. We avoid the use
| of the term fusionist because some are
| now claiming a distinction, sort of
hair splitting difference, between a flu
| sionist and a co-operator and where
|
| such claim is made we feel inclined to
give the claimant the benefit of the
, split. Mr.. Fisk in all seriousness asks:
| Wherein we were not used fairly by the
silver Republicans and Bryan Democrats
in our last campaign in this state, and
why it will not be wise and for the best
for us to cooperate with them again in
the coming campaign"
A genuine Yankee would probably an
swer Mr.. Fisk's queries by asking him
a few questions like the following: If
the Republican party in the last cam
paign had proposed to us to divide the
Offices in consideration of our holding
in allegiance orr principles and we had
accepted such proposition and helped to
elect Mckinley and the other Republic
can bosses, would 1t have been a case
| of "unfairness" on the part of Republi-
cans or damn-foolishness on the part of
POpulists? Certainly neither Democrats
or Republicans can be charged with un-
fairness so long as we agree to the
terms of capitulation. The vital ques-
| ton is as to the wisdom or necessity Of