The representative., 1900-10-04
, The Two Old Erautfs,

Ed. Representatives: Never since l
became q voter. in 184S. have 1 been 50
much at loss as to how should vote,
as have been this year.
I am Greenbacker and anti-monopo-
list from the crown Of my head to the
soles Of my feet, and have been an ac-
tive worker in every organization that
has had for It's object the reform Of
the politics Of the two old parties for
the past 40 years. The legalized condi-
tions has been to make the rich richer
and the poor poorer. In our struggles
to organize party to oppose those
vicious laws we have been met by the
Republican party with the arguments
that we were Communists, Socialists,
cranks, and sometimes the epithet of
Anarchist was applied to make their
arguments more binding to convince US
and the public that we were wrong.
While, on the other hand, the Demo-
cratic party was no less arrogant at
first, but as soon as we became strong
they came around all smiles saying you
are right, and if you will join U.S. we
will clean the corruptionists out; and
In order the better to deceive us they
have indorsed our candidates, some
times going through the formula of
nominating them IN their conventions,
but all this time they have never failed
to knife us every time they got us in
their grasp. But as soon as the wounds
had time to heal, and we again became
strong, they invariably came back to us,
all smiles, saying "We know we have
not treated you fairly in the
days that have passed, but we have re-
formed. Try us again." and many of
our innocent Populists are inclined, al
though our organization has been de-
stroyed in this state, to try them again,
and thus finish the job by turning is
over body and breeches into the Dem
ocratic ranks, in spite of remonstrance
and passed experience. BY this means
we are periodically ground up, and thus
the Democratic party has become the
all reform parties-in the state of Min
nesota or in the United States OF all
pretended reform parties they are the
most impractical. They will reform and
died, politically, 40 years ago reform
party would have taken their place and
saved this country the disgrace Of being
domineered over by combines and trusts
at the present time.
The Democratic party killed the Inde-
pendent Republican movement in 1872
First, they nominated Greeley, the in
dependent candidate for president. This
movement drove most conscientious Re-
publicans back to their party. Then
Democrats nominated an independent
Democratic candidate, purposely divid-
ing the Democratic vote and defeating
Greeley They pretended to be Green
backers and followed that organization
with fusion until they killed it, then
abandoned the principles of that party.
Their last exploit has been an intrigue
with leading Populists, in 1896, pretend
ing they favored all measures the Pop
ulists stood for, but as soon as they
got the Populists to nominate Bryan
at their national convention, the Demo-
Gratis dropped the Populist candidate for
vice-president and now ignore the Pop
ulists and their principles. And after
they have, as they think, destroyed this
party, who, in 1892, had grown to about
100000 voters, they now drop back to
their old position-of opposition to the
Republican party, on an issue they are
pleased to call imperialism-thus ig-
noring the principles of the Populist
party they claimed to love SO much.
What nonsense! What Is Imperialism?
Webster says it is the power, authority
and character Of an emperor. No such
condition confronts us now.
The foregoing shows that the Demo-
cratic party in future, as in the past,
is to be the devil-fish that is to fasten
onto and destroy all reform movements
that may be organized. That party
must be destroyed before any reform
movement can succeed. propose to vote