The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-07-06
new YORK GOSSIP
The Sum Reviews the situation of the
POpulfst Party.

The Sum Reviews the Situation of the
Populist Party.
| NEW YORK, June 21.-The Sun has
a comprehensive article, with CORE
spondence from various Western states,
on the decline of Populism. In sum-
ming up, the Sun alludes to Mr.. PETERS
return to the Republican party and
| says he is only following the example
of the great majority Of those who
made the Populist movement formida-
BILE few years ago. Only in Nebraska
is strong organization preserved, and
party is plainly attributable to the per-
sonal influence of William J. Bryan, and
the fact that by coalition with Demo-
Gratis and free silver Republicans, many
of the leaders are able to get their noses
into the public crib. With the expected
eclipse of Bryan in 1900 or sooner, will
probably come the breaking up of the
present alliance.
Fusion i'll South Dakota between the
Democrats and the Populists still has
! considerable, though decreasing,
strength. One more big campaign is
expected to end the partnership. Mean
while, Populism as an Independent force
is declining, and many Populists are re-
suming the relations with the old par
ties which they broke off several years
ago.
The Populists of Montana were able
in 1896 to dictate terms to the Democ-
racy to seize the lions share Of the Of
fees, but last year the Democrats
wouldn't hitch with them, and they had
few candidates in the field on their own
| ticket. Most of them now call them
selves Democrats, while their old allies,
the silver Republicans are Republicans
again.
The Democracy of Minnesota has
practically succeeded to the business of
| the POpulists, and most of the Republi
cans who voted for Bryan in 1895 are
| believed to have accepted the good
/ times which have resulted from the
elections Of that year and 1898 as an
earnest of more to come, and gone back
to the party which they temporarily de-
serted.
Much the same condition of affairs
exists in Iowa. 1t should be remem-
| Dered, however, that POpulism, as such,
was never strong in that state. It's
high water mark was $4,000 votes. Last
fall it polled less than $500. Gen.
James B. Weaver and few other wor
thies maintain a quasi organization,
which they find useful in doing business
with the Democrats.
Milton Park, the editor of one of the
Populist papers in Texas, is chairman
! of the iddle-of-the-road national COM
mittee. He says the Populists are go
ing to have a ticket all to themselves
next year, with both feet on the Omaha
platform.
MINNESOTA.
| In the dispatch from Minnesota, dated
| at Minneapolis, the Suns correspondent
says:
In 1894, when the Populist party had
come near electing its candidate for
governor, had left the Democrats far in
the rear, and had corralled nearly every
vote in many rural districts, Populism
| in Minnesota was apparently on the
high road to success. But when in 1896,
the nomination of Bryan was indorsed
by the Populist national convention in
St. Louis, marked decline in the party
began. Fusion on the national ticket
was followed by fusion on state and
local tickets, the organization was de-
moralized, and factional strife arose
over everything. Thus fusion led to
| confusion.
With the advent of the present adj
business which destroyed much of the
campaign material of the party, while
the prosecution of the war with Spain
and resultant issues brought many who
had sympathized more or less with the
Populists to open or tacit support of
the president. It is true that the man
who was elected governor of Minnesota
last fall received the support Of the
Populist organization, but he is no more
a Populist than a Republican, and less
Populist than a Democrat, and his sue
cess was due largely to dissatisfaction
with the candidate. More than that,
the Populist organization was further
demoralized by this campaign; internal
strife became more bitter, and consid-
erable number of the leaders, including
Ignatius Donnelly, withdrew to the
middle of-the-rOad."
Just how much there is left of the
party now it is difficult to to say, as
| fusion has prevailed since 1894. Many
| Republicans who supported the Populist
| ticket in the early campaigns Of the
| decades just closing, as protest
| lr 1nx