The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-07-13
NO MORE FUSION.
Down With the Two Old Parties.

Down With the Two Old Parties.
Mortimer C. Rankin, chairman of the
Popuist national central committee, was in
terviewed here in regard to whether the
POpuliSt would form a fusion with the
Democrats for the coming campaign. Mr..
Rankin said that they would not, for the
reason that the Populist will hold their
national convention one month prior to
that of either the Democratic or Republican
conventions. On this account the Populists
will prepare their own platform and nomi-
nate their own candidates. The time for
the national Populist convention is not de-
termined yet,and cOnnot be determined until
one of the big political parties names the
date for it's convention. Mr.. Rankin stated
that the party was split up in it's views,
but it was hoped that every one would be
brought to one course before the convention
met.
The Populsts are tired of fusion, for
they have found that whenever they
tered into fusion with the Democrats the
latter party received the benefit, while the
Populst were there merely to fill up Mr..
Rankin stated that the party was split up
on the matter of holding the Philippine
islands. In his opinion the object of the
government should be to tear down all
the monarchies possible and to construct
upon the debris the foundation of republics:
the more republic the better. He said if
the Democrats go to work to fight the policy
pines until suitable form of government
has been formed, they will find themselves
showed under far worse than they were
in 1S96-Special from Terre Haute. Ind.
We know Mr.. Rankin WE'LL He is one
of the best and Roblest Populists in
the United States. We served with him
as member of the executive committee
of the Peoples party from 1892 to 1896.
He is radical in principle, while con-
sentative in methods. He speaks for
great many true men.
The Democrats had a golden oppor-
tunity in 1896 but they played the fool
and the hog. They seemed to be more
anxious to absorb or destroy the Popu-
lists than they were to defeat the Re-
publicans. They wanted our votes, but
they wanted to Stay our honest leaders
and corrupt our weak ones. They stole
our principles, invaded our conventions,
captured our organization and spit in
our faces.
In South Dakota Hon. H. L. Loucks
had been for years president of the
Farmers Alliance editor of the leading
reform journal, powerful speaker, an
honest man and wise organizer. He
canvassed the whole country and built
up a strong sentiment which made it
possible to defeat the Republicans in
their strongholds. But the word was
sent out from the Democratic national
headquarters that Loucks must be
downed and crushed. And they did it.
chanan and supported Cleveland; fossil
lied brains incapable of a new idea; fell
lows who could never, in Gods world,
have made a convert or changed the po-
litical complexion of precinct, were
set up against him. And today Loucks
and his hosts of friends hate Democracy
more than they do Republicanism
In Minnesota we have had the same
experience. For more than thirty years
the editor of The Representative had
advocated what are now called Popu-
listic ideas. In season and out of sea-
son he had advocated them. He had
spoken in their defense in every county
and almost in every township of the
state, and in almost every state of the
Union.
From 1873 to 1878 he had published
The Anti-Monopolist newspaper in st.
Paul, and from 1893 to 1899 The Repre-
sentative. He had taken the money de-
rived from his books, and spent thous-
ands of dollars in advocacy of reform
In the meantime the Democratic leaders
| of Minnesota were simply bag-pipe
| under the arm-pit of Republicanism, to
| squeak out discordant harmony, and
live on the scraps thrown to them by
the big thieves among their allies.
Floods, oceans of abuse, were heaped on
him by the united robbers-the Demo-
Gratis being, if anything, the more
vicious and offensive of the two.
| But when, at last, through his exer-
tions. the sun OF hope began to rise
above the horizon, and Democracy saw
! opening visions of heaven of office
holding shining through the black
clouds of a half-century of ignominious
| defeat, their first thought was how to
insult and degrade the man, of the re-
suits of whose services they were about
| to avail themselves.
| And thus has it been all over the
country.
They insist that the Peoples party
must perish; that we can have no re-
form except through the party of VAL