The representative., 1900-11-15

Messenger, published at Okolona, Miss,
in some editorial comments in his paper
just prior to election, does our senior
editor great injustice.
In February last Mr.. DOnnelly suffer-
ed a severe attack of la grippe, and for
weeks was very sick man, and friends
feared for his life. In April he returned
to his summer home at Ninninger,
where the fresh air of the country anj
fine spring weather brought to his health
rapid improvement.
In May he was able to attend the
Cincinnati convention, but when he re-
| turned the heat was intense and we had
entered the hottest summer in a quarter
of century
On the Fourth of July he spoke at a
point in Iowa, the heat was sitting, his
grippe symptoms returned and his re-
! marks for the first time in his long and
useful career fell far short of the usual
, brilliancy of Ignatius Donnelly. One
or two local papers, not knowing the
real facts, started reports that Mr.. Don
nelly had suffered from paralysis.
This was untrue, but upon his return
he consulted doctor. who told him that
further campaign speeches would be at
, the risk of his life.
1t would obviously have been unwise
at that time to have made public these
facts with their inevitable injury to our
cause meeting of our national com j.
mittee was to be held in Chicago and
Mr.. Donnelly wrote our chairman, JO
A. Parker, authorizing him to withdraw
his name if it could be done without in
jury to the party, but hearing nothing
further upon this subject from Mr.. Par
ker, matters were allowed to stand.
Subsequently he received calls from
| numerous parties to speak where there
was not ghost of show to effect any
thing and Mr.. DOnnelly excused him.
self and evaded these calls the best way
he could. He realized that he was in
this campaign simply a figure-head and
as such useful as any other.
/ Later he was called upon by Mr.. Hopp,
Of Chicago, who came as a representa-
to him he made the same excuse to
avoid public speaking.
In answer to question by Mr.. Hopp,
he stated that it would require $4,000 TO
sofa, and that if that sum was put in
his hands for distribution he would call
together from all parts of our state lead
ing men of our party, who should re-
use
That we were so poor in Minnesota
that we could not hold a full meeting
of our state committee, and that it was
impossible for us to do anything.
Mr.. Donnelly further asked Mr.. Hopp
whether there was any state in the
union where different state of affairs
existed.
Illinois, Mr. Hopp's own state, went
for Mckinley by over 100000, and in
Chicago, his place of residence, the Mid
road ticket received less than 200 votes.
1t is unreasonable to suppose that if
Mr.. Donnelly had been we'll his single
voice could have materially changed
results.
AS it was, he stood to his guns in the
columns of this paper, while he saw
many of his best and lifelong friends
desert him and abandon our issues.
Sick as he was from the effects Of
grippe, aggravated by the heat of a ter
rife summer protracted late into the
fall. he permitted his friends to bill him
for speeches at nearby points in our
own state, when he and his friends
realized that physician would have
remanded him to bed
At these meetings it was the name of
Ignatius Donnelly that drew the crowd.
Unable himself to talk long at time,
his unflinching resolution brought him
out to these meetings where others did
the work.
Shall Mr.. Donneliy be censured for
cOncealing his sickness at this crisis?
Will anyone say that at that stage of
events more could have been expected
Of him? Has the North or the South a
man who through sunshine and shadow
has been more steadfast and truer to
| Populism?
Most men are accounted heroes who
| will fight for principle and their coun-
| try's good while life and health remains
! What shall be said of sick man who
permits himself to be led upon the pub
tic platform to terrorize the enemy and
inspire his friends?
Has the party, North or South, a lead
er who would have done more?
No paper in the Northern states has.
from start to finish, stood by Southern
| Populists more sturdily than the Rep
resentative. With the cooler weather