The representative., 1900-09-27

Doctor johnson has left us. He has
returned to his first love-the Republi-
can party. We told them just how it
would be. That the Peoples party has
been made up Of old Republicans, and
would return to it the moment it be-
came apparent that the purpose was ia
convert them to Democracy.
DR.. Johnson has written a defense Of
his course, In which he says:
"Yes sir. guess am a Republican this
year, and am apt to be for some time to
come I was originally a Republican and
worked and voted for Harrison in 1892. But
unfortunately Cleveland was elected presi-
dent, and with him came the panic that
struck US all amidships soon after his in
auguration.
"At first the ordinary people were dazed
and dumbfounded by the panic but by and
by we found out that we were beggard, that
lands. houses and goods. beyond what was
needed for immediate personal use. were
utterly worthless. or worse. burden OF
taxes and expense. The well-to-do were
bankrupt and the poor trampled and starved
The promised relief from the repeal Of the
Sherman law did not materialize, and a
good many of us concluded that both po-
litical parties had either lost their reason
or had conspired to destroy civilization or
this continent.
with this condition of public sentiment
Populism hove into view and opened the
only plausible avenue of relief. Thousands
and thousands of the common people Joined
it's ranks. and I with them. Not that 1 and
others subscribed to the ultra radical tenets
OF the party but We believed that the
movement furnished the nucleus of a new
party that would in time be able tc
satisfactorily solve the mighty social ques-
tions that then confronted the nation. And
let me say right here that if the Peoples
party had had leaders made Of the right
stuff-statesmen instead of Office seekers at
the helm-it would today have been the
second party in the nation and still have
had mission to perform.
FOUGHT AT A SWINGING GATE
"Now I am no milkand-water sort of a
man. If the new party would succeed work
must be done, and 1 was in it for all ]
was worth.
I'm Kandiyohi county we fought the cam
paign Of 1894 at a swinging gate. We
had no newspaper but led, and political
friends stood by me, and the Willmar Tri-
bune was established. 1t was a virile,
spirited Populist paper, and was a success
from the start.
1.-The campaign of 1896, with Bryan at
the head of the ticket, came on and fought
it with all the power at my command. The
perity. At that time our financial condi-
ton, individually and as a nation, was all
out of order. Our financial structure. so to
speak. was dilapidated. the windows out,
the shingles off, and we at the mercy OF
every squall or gust of wind let loose from
the gambling money centers of the world.
We have No words of abuse for DR..
Johnson. Our denunciations are due to
the men who made the course he took
necessary and natural. If the whole
Peoples party does not take the same
course it is because it has a refuge in
the Midroad organization. Everywhere
it is developing strength and standing
fast to principles. Everywhere it is
calling back to it's ranks the true and
able men who have temporarily aban-
doned it. In another campaign, under
more favorable circumstances, the Dem
ocracy, with it's illiberality, will be
swept out of existence, and we will 20
forward conQuering and to conquer.
l. D.