Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1900-10-13
A SUIT OF WHITE.

be able to conduct the wild and re1rae.
tory Pops over the rough and rugged
road from Populism to Democracy.
"For instance, at the Populists' state
convention in Minneapolis in 1895 some
leading Popuhsts desired to see Mr.
Lind face to face and ask klm seNle
plain questions as to his relation to the
two parties-the Democratic and Pop
ulist-in case he should be elected. He
was In Minneapolis, but he could not
be located by the Populists in question,
although the fusion leaders had him
where they could put their fingers on
him at any time. After his nomination
ne was brought in the room to mako
his little speech to the convention, and
after 1t was made he vanished as sud
denly az he appeared. Now, John Lind,
I have every reason to believe, knew Of
this desire on the part OF many prom
inent Populists to see him for the pUr-
pose indicated and he purposely and
Btudiously evaded them. then got tho
impression, as did many leading Pop
ulists, that John Lind and the fusion
leaders regarded us as a lot of green
horns who could be handled like SO
many cattle, simply by bell-gingllng,
yelling and whip cracking, and the
whole fusion program has since abund-
antly confirmed this view. Yet our re-
gard for honest John Lind was such
that we. to some extent. excused him,
and when he came out as the Political
Orphan a phrase selected by himself
as the proper term to define his political
affiliations, we determined to give him
our support and went out and solicited
votes for him among the Republicans
on the orphan basis. I say 1t DELHI
erately, for I know what I am talking
about, that thousands of Populists and
Republicans voted for him for gov
ernor in 1898 in the belief that he was
strictly an Independent and non-parti-
san candidate. And believe that this
vote elected him.
Nov. according to my notion OF con-
sistency and political ethics. John Lind
should have remained a political or
phan' during his term of office; other
wise he lays himself open to the charge
Of having obtained his election by false
pretences
Gould not John Lind have found
some other suitable person to serve as
his private secretary and political man
ager than the state chairman Of the
Democratic party? Was It necessary
to choose man who had made himself
obnoxious by offensive parti-
in his dealings with Populists?
Was there no alternative but to choose
a man whose conspicuous ambition. 1t
had been. for four years past to cripple
and destroy the Peoples party that his
own might profit thereby? This man
Rosing has now SO nearly succeeded.
by the aid of Gov. Lind, in annihilating
the Peoples party that the remnant of
the latter Is only the tail end Of the
donkey and thus but laughing stock
or joke.
Now, this Lind Towne, end-justify-
Ing the means program may be good
Democratic politics. for all know. but
to my notion OF political methods. ao-
quired in the Republican and the
Peoples parties, 1t is &Ssreputable. If
real and valuable reform in govern
by this road then all the political his
tory of the past is a lie.
Am sore at John Lind because he
has been the chief agent in wiping Out
he Peoples party? Well, yes; haven't
good cause to be? Suppose the Peo- |
ole's party had succeeded in under
mining the Democratic party in this
Itate by similar methods, don't you
.hink Rosing. and the O'Briens would |
lave been saying about us Just what |
I'm now saying about them? Don't you
hink they would have been employing |
LII their ponderous ingenuity to get |
wen with us?
But we Pops are simply voting cat
lie! We must kiss the hand that |
mites US! Yes. let those who are con-
ent to live on crumbs from their VIC
ors' tables take them and be happy. I
m not built that way. stand on my
ignity In politics as in other matters
will never degrade myself by voting
or man who has taken an undue adj
'antage Of my generosity. I have only
ne vote, but John Lind cannot have
this year will not vote to perpet-
ate Rosing political machine in
Minnesota"