The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-07-06
Many others are without a party.

Many others are without party.
But with the passing Of the Populist
party, it must be said that the influence
OF Populism, to certain extent, sur
wives in the Democratic party of the
state. Down with the trust is the
rallying cry of the Minnesota Demo.
Gratis, as it becomes more and more
likely that this is to be the great issue
in the next campaign. There is no
doubt that many of the Populist leaders
are ready to take the sop extended to
them and 60 over, bag and baggage, to
Democracy. T. J. Cation, the leading
orator of Populism in the state, and re-
Gently candidate for congress in this
district, Endorsed by Democrats and
silver Republicans, says he expects to
incorporate himself into the Democratic
fold in good time, and make canvass
for the nomination for congress next
year as Democrat.
''It is my belief" said he, that the
Democratic party will go before the
people in the next campaign with three
well-defned issues-free coinage of sill
yer, anti-expansion and anti-trusts. I
do not believe the party will attempt to
try and keep all these issues to the
front in all sections of the country, but
that the issue will be emphasized or
moderated according to the locality. In
other words the speakers in New Eng
land will keep anti-expansion to the
front, thus gaining a large Republican
vote which sympathizes with Senator
Hoar and Edward Atkinson. In the
Mississippi states antitrust will be the
cry, while in the West and South free
silver will again have the right of way.
This may not be very high principle,
but it is good politics and will gain
votes.'
But the Democrats are by no means
gathering in all the Populists in the
disintegration that is taking place. The
vote in the last election showed that
many of the rank and file in POpulist
strongholds which 10 years ago were
strongly Republican, were returning to
their old allegiance. The Seventh dis
trict, which has been recognized as the
strongest Populist district in the state,
went Republican last November by a
good majority and the drift continues
in the same direction there and else
where. The same is true of many Of
the leaders. Former Republicans who
have had no use for the Democratic
party are looking for an excuse to get
back into the fold. Some who left the
Republican party on the silver issue
alone, and who are satisfied that good
times have come to stay without BIZ
metallism, are again with the Republic
cans heart and soul as expansionists
and protectionists.
IOWA
The correspondent at Des Moines,
Ia, says:
Populism has almost disappeared
from Iowa, except as it manifests itself
through the regular Democratic organi-
zation The old Populist or Greenback
leaders, except few who hold some
hobby not included in fusion, or who
have been disappointed by failing to
receive the reward they think is their
due, have gone over to Democracy.
Thousands of Republicans voted for
Bryan in 1896 and have since returned
to the Republican party
The Populist party, which never
polled more than $4,000 votes in Iowa,
lost it's identity in 1896, when it entered
into fusion with the Democrats
Old leaders, such as Gen. James B.
Weaver and w. H. Robb, keep up the
separate organization for the purpose Of
exacting compensation of some kind or
another from the Democracy. Gen.
Weaver is chairman of the regular
POpulist party committee. He has is
sued call for a state convention to be
held the same day and at the same
place as the Democratic state conven-
tion, "for the purpose of consultation
and to take such action concerning the
selection of candidates as may be
deemed advisable" This, of course,
means fusion which Gen. Weaver has
always favored.
SOUTH DAKOTA.
The correspondent from South Da-
kota, located at Sioux Falls, says:
The Populist party of South Dakota
is at present in a curious situation. It
was started as rebuke to both old par
ties, but it's machinery was captured
several years ago by politicians who
formed an alliance with the Democrats
and placed fusion tickets in the field.
Many old-line Populists have refused
longer to be identified with the party
which they built up, and have become
Republicans or Democrats again. Many
of the original Populists were men who
left the Republican party because OF
Senator Pettigrew's leadership; yet, in
1896, when the senator walked out of
the St. Louis convention, he ''took to-
Populism as naturally as duck takes