The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-05-18
Organization
Department.
CONVENTIONS, NIT,

(Send communications for this col
umn to DR.. H. B. Fay, Al Washington
avenue south, Minneapolis, Mimi.
When, at our last state convention,
and later at Cincinnati, our party refer
red all powers, hitherto abrogated by
committees and conventions, direct to
the people, organized in precinct clubs,
we, the first of all parties, evolved new
idea into practice. We thus stood far
beyond other parties for the common
rights of all. We took the power out
of the hands of city lawyers and ward
politicians, and set it upon the back
door step of every farm yard. We saved
farmers hundreds of dollars in expensive
trips to conventions. We made the
caucus and committee rule of few
bosses a thing of the dark ages. In this
step we set forth our chief claim to
popularity.
We thus proved that we are followers
of no men, but of principles, as declared
by the majority of our club membership.
This takes the winds out of the sails of
those ambitious obstructionists, who
falsely claim that ours is a Barker and
Donnelly party. The people through
our club system, as explained in our
pamphlets (for sale by me at 5 cents
copy can at any time call down unwor-
erS.
What of it? This. If every farmer
don't snatch such an opportunity by i'm
mediately forming and reporting such
club, even if composed of no more men,
bers to start with than himself and hired
man, he is a bigger fool than city poll
ticians take him to be.
There is no mistaking the increasing
and wide spread mid-road sentiment
throughout our whole country. Popu-
lists are everywhere coming back to
their first love.
They find the same old party, with it's
memorable Omaha platform. But it also
contains a newly furnished compart-
ment, the precinct club system, which
some of them overlook. Virulent flu
sionists of last year must first get disin-
fected in this room, when they will be
better Christians than ever.
In this room they can get everything
they dare ask for. The lack of this
room is what sold us out in 1896, and
will, unless kept in constant use, sell us
out again and again. Without this
room in our platform we would be an
unorganized mob. Omitting this plan
of making nominations through clubs.
and attending still other conventions,
we would be committing suicide. Just
think for illustration of the folly of at
tending next year Buffers convention,
even if it PRETENDS to be midroad!
We would dignity it. And degrade
ourselves by bolt. All things must be
done henceforth through clubs, or we
have accomplished nothing for reform.
If politicians want Doodle of any sort,
let them cling like flies on molasses to
the old convention system. They should
not enter a club.
This feature of our party has within
the past month been adopted by both
Democratic and Republican parties, and
made law for Hennepin county, to the
extent of doing away with conventions,
and making nominations direct at the
primaries in all county matters
We want all the votes we can get To
win them we will even subject our chos-
en- candidates to another referendum, to
please the most fastidious. But, if we
must win votes by taking a retrogressive
step, it, with faces set on Zion of pop
ular direct legislation in precinct clubs,
we must fall backward, to another con-
vention into hell itself, we say, Gentle
men, you must excuse u.s. Nit
Form clubs. Take the power your
selves. We don't want it. Otherwise
you are not of us, are not of the goth
century; to preach popular government,
but not to practice it, is hypocritical.
H. B. F.
He >orTuptioH OI TIE Representative
Plan in Party Management.
You say you are Republican or
Democrat, or some other party man, run
on the representative plan. You vote
the ticket, but you are not even a factor
in party management. When you voted
you surrendered every political right
you had to the representatives. They
are the party. They own you and have
a string on you. When they pull on
the string you dance. When they don't
you are expected to keep still, excepting
lusty amen to everything the party
does
You say if that is the case l won't vote,
No matter if you don't, under the rep
resentative plan your political rights
will be taken from you and the party
will jog along in the even tenor of it's
ways, unmindful of your existence, even.
You hold an appointive Office, postmas-
ter, perhaps. If you yawp Justify at ev-
cry move the party makes, pay your as
sessment for political work promptly,
you may be accorded hearing in party
management. But if you don't, off