The representative., 1900-11-01
AN ADDRESS
10 THE ropuL1srs OF MINNESOTA
THE MARKED DECLINE

no THE POPULISTs OF MINNESOTA.
THE MARKED DECLINE
OF the Peoples party in this state Is q
fact patent to all. From state con-
yention Of nearly 1000 delegates In
1898 down to one OF less than 800 this
year, the fall is too great not to ar
rest attention. The Democrats, who
polled only 53.598 votes to our S7.921 In
1894, and probably not many more
in 1898, had an unprecedented attend
ance of LAO delegates this year at
their state convention. Apparently.
the relative position of the two par
ties have been completely reversed.
THE CAUSE.
How are we to account for this?
Nowhere else has such revulsion
been seen within the past two years.
Wherever the Populists had the same
relative advantage that we had two
years ago, they have not only held their
own, but have perceptibly gained
ground. This is notably true of Ne
braska, the great Democratic leaders
own state. where our friends are today
far stronger than at any previous
date in their history. Why should we
have been SO unfortunate in Minneso-
ta? Prior to our joint victory of 1898,
we thrived on defeat. Reverse after
MI ~, 1nor
us more numerous, more enthusiastic,
than before, until we attained the for
midable proportions already indicated.
Why should victory itself have proved
so disastrous? The entire history Of
party warfare shows that, invariably
and always, victory is the political
magnet which attracts new recruits.
In our case, it has been the bosom
which has swept away old adherents
Why? Only and evidently because it
has been used treacherously to break
up our organization. There is but one
opinion on this point in well-informed
circles. Gov. Lind stands convicted of
having deliberately, systematically
wrecked the Peoples party in Mime
sofa. T. D. O'Brien and L. A. Rosing
have certainly contributed largely to
that result, but the governor is alone
responsible before the people.
THE PRETEXT.
Naturally, it will be claimed that he
was actuated by legitimate motive In
this secret warfare upon our organiza-
ton. 1t will be urged that he had TO
concentrate his forces, merge the three
organizations into one. In order to ia
-cilitate political action.
Granting this contention for the
! sake Of argument, we still insist that
this realignment Of forces had to be
ehected without altering the character
Ind aim Of the general movement.
The three parties which placed Gov
ernor Lind in nomination had been
brought together by the sheer force Of
the free silver sentiment. He was
morally bound to be true to that senti-
ment, or else decline the nomination,
precisely as Bryan did at Kansas City.
He had but the one or the other of
these two courses open to him, as an
honorable man. He has followed
neither.
~ THE FACTS.
When he, or rather, when his asso-
ciates came to the Populists in 1893
with proposition to join forces under
the name of fusion, they came as sill
yer Democrats. They knew our pro-
found aversion to any such combina-
ton. Even as it was, nearly half our
delegates bolted the convention out
right to become Midroaders, Had
there been the slightest intimation of
compromise with the gold Democrats
there would not have been one man
left in the hall; at all events. there
would not have been a single Popu-
list vote In favor of fusion-not one.
Yet the moment our vote was secured.
the very moment the convention had ad-
1ourned, the nd-Rosing-OBrien COT
erie were arm in arm with the xu..
Democrats, discarding the silver ones-
tlon because 1t Is one of national i'm
port, and raising that of anti-exnan-
sion, because, we suppose, it is a local
issue.
Here, 1t will be admitted. is a fla
grant breach of faith, both as to plat-
FORM and party engagements. And
tne entire course of the state adminis-
tration has been on the same lines We
note:
l. The gold Democrats have heon
distinctly favored in the matter II
appointments, having been recognized
IN greater number than any other
group, in proportion to their voting
strength.
T. All the reformists who had ac-
tiVeiy opposed the candidacy of a gold
democrat for mayor Of st. Paul in the
spring OF 1898, have been strictly
placed under the ban. in the distrfbu-
ton OF state patronage.
.. The governors attitude in the
last municipal election of this citv was
even more offensive to the reform son.
ument. In the first place, his in
terference was wholly uncalled for. ex-
cept on the one ground of machine
politics. In the next place, as between
Juoge Willis. silver Democrat. with