The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-09-21
WHAT A FRIEND THINKS

over to us the following letter:
Editor Representative, Minneapolis. MINI
Sir: l notice from the number on the las
representative I received that my paid vi
subscription has run out, therefore, yol
will find Enclosed a one dollar bill in pay.
ment In advance Of my subscription on thu
R Representative Tor one year. like the
ciples 1t advocates are all right
The Democratic party is in fact moth
Ing but great big lie," especially when
1t comes to fusion with the Populists All
those OF us who have kept a close watch on
the matter have long ago noticed that.
| Even in our town. here, three years ago
we were reasonably sure to carry the fus-
lon ticket to victory with the assistance
OF the Democrats. but ON counting the
votes there were very few more votes cast
1 10 our ticket than Of those whom we knew
TO be good Populists: The whole fusion
ticket. both county and state, was princi-
pally Democrats, and would. if carried, have
been more honor to the Democrats than to
the Populists. But still. heard lifelong
Democrats hurrah for Mckinley. That's
what we got for fusion and that is very
near what the Populists. got out of the
fusion everywhere.
There is one thing, though. that think
the Representative is doing wrong In, and
am certain that good many more would
say the same il they wanted to speak their
minds. 1t is that the Representative is
so personally abusive. What is the use
OF that? The Representative has plenty of
good principles to advocate and to fill it's
columns with. and might leave some of
Its personal abuse to some other party
paper, which has scarcely anything else
1t Is all right and necessary to show up
the wrongdoers, but to continually abuse
certain individuals does not increase our
party. nor make our principles any bet
ter. but altogether the other way.
n yxh0
continually are abused are more feared on
account of their ability than anything else.
And l am certain that the people will take
it SO. too. when it comes into a political
tussle again.
Yours very truly,
CHARLES ]. FOSS,
Honeyford, P. o.
Grand Forks County, N. D.
We are always glad TO receive fair and
candid criticisms. We claim no monop-
oily of always being right. We are HUI
man, and very human human at that.
II Eve hadn't eaten that apple it might
have been different; but as it is we be-
long to that spoiled part of the uni
verse called humanity
God, you remember, repented Him at
an early daee-that he had made man
for he is prone to evil as the sparks
fly upward" and it is lucky chance
that the Creator did not sweep the
whole caboodle of the planet forever
several thousand years before Columbus
or Lief Erickson, the Norwegian
discovered America, and prepared the
way for the publication of The Repre-
sentative.
But Brother Foss is partly right AS
an abstract proposition the discussion of
great principles ought not to be inter-
mixed with personalities. But when
particular personalities interfere with
the success of great principles, then it
is time to 60 for the personalities rough
shod. If you don't do so the personali-
ties will trample the life out Of the prin-
ciples
We are waging war for the right; |
but our weapons are not guns and can
non but appeals to an enlightened pub |
lie opinion.
When Benedict Arnold tried to sur
render the Notifications at West. Point |
to our friends, the British, George Wash
ington could not ignore him and let him
continue at his reasonable work. He
had to try to capture him, and he would |
have hanged him had he caught him.
When S. M. Owen fought the princi- |
pies of the Peoples party at every step |
for eight years and tried to turn us all |
into Democrats, we could not, like |
George Washington with Benedict Ar |
mold, arrest him and courtmartial and |
hang him. It would have been right,
but it would not have been lawful. All |
we could do was to inform public opin-
lon as to his acts, and expose his pur-
poses and thus draw his teeth and de-
prive him of his power for evil in anv
future conventions Of the party.
II we did not do this we should be a
traitor to the principles we pretend to
represent. If rascals can remain rascals
and be treated as we'll as honest men,
the breed of honest men will soon be
extinct.
II any man does not want to see his
name in the Representative with adverse
comments, let him not pretend to be a
Populist while working for Democracy
We shall "go" for him hotter than the
names Of Sheol. If 10000 men hold up
their hands in holy horror.
The first duty that truth owes to
mankind is to smash the men who are
trying to undermine and dynamite It.
Shall we smile and be silent until the
explosion comes?
There was an old woman safd-sHow
Shall conquer this terrible COW?
will sit on the stile t....o.
And continue to smile,
1t may soften the heart of the cow"
A better way is to go for the COW with
club or leave the field. Id
GAINING STRENGTH. EVERYWHERE.
The Winterset (Iowa) Review has this
TO say:
Tne greatest interest was manifested from |
start to finish. Thu Des Mofnes paners
concede that 100 delegates were nrooan+ |