The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-08-31
JOHN COOPER, President.
f. w. RANDALL, Secretary.

is the only salvation of the reform par
ty. Those leaders that have now got
Office are still for fusion, and are be-
coming just as corrupt as those who
have held Office before them. They
plainly show disregard Of principles.
They say, I'VE have the power; we will
do as we like" They forget they are
servants of the people. They are car
ried away by their own greed.
To destroy the Peoples party, which
ever old party has been in the minority
has advocated fusion, until it does SUI
perficially seem as if our party was a
thing of the past. 1 believe enough
manhood and honestly is left to take
hold of the work and carry it on. If
we are honest in our work now, and will
go forward and put up clean ticket in
each state, and also national, we will
stand good chance to elect it, 1t is
amusing to hear the Democrats talk
about the Chicago platform. One of
our best planks in regard to paper
money was SO misleading. to most Of
the voters, while they were under the
impression the money question was
we'll taken care of. It would have de-
stroyed all our paper money aside from
national bank notes. What we need is
to meet in conference, and pledge our
selves to stand by the principles we
have SO long fought for, and l believe
that in 1900 we can elect the entire state
ticket here, and if we do not elect a
president in 1900, we can in 1904 There
are few Of the old Populists here who
got into Office, who are strong fusion
lists, and dare not say anything to Of
fend the dear silver Republicans and
Democrats. They are the same ones
who have fought Senator Pettigrew
and his acts in congress during his first
term of Office, and as soon as he saw he
was losing his popularity with the farm
ers, he steals our thunder and goes forth
to make stump speeches, and give us
word for word what H. L. Loucks. Capt
j. X. Lowe and others have told the |
voters Of the state years ago He thinks |
he is making the people believe it is |
original, but he has fooled them too
many times, and when he thought the |
Populists might be Independent and
use their own judgment in regard to |
what they thought was right, he was
heard to say to some of them here that |
If they did not do to suit him. he would !
go back to the Republicans. He said he
could be Populist, free silver Republi- |
can, Democrat Or Republican. Now,
this looks like a queer mixture to me.
l have fought for our principles, and
stayed in the middle of the road as I |
started. 1t is true l yielded in 1896 |
hoping, like many others, that there
might come some good, but the men we
elected fell SO far short Of carrying out
our principles that l did what | could |
to have our state organization and all |
reformers unite under one banner. that
we might have the confidence of all.
After they made such a farce of the |
Aberdeen convention, | said | was done
with fusion, and if | could not have 4 |
party that | had confidence in, would
support my old party, the Republican,
and so stated through the Argus-Leader |
OF this city, that the means used by the
leaders were SO corrupt that could not
support them longer. But as soon as we
could go forward with a reform party
that would uphold our principles. I was
ready to put my shoulder to the wheel
and help drive it along.
E. J. TRACY |