The representative., 1900-11-29

or that q large 6pdy of voters did not
understand their position.
They still think. it possible to mix oil
and water. r. Al
Bryan was up against two great politi-
cal propositions the magnitude of which
neither he nor his followers ever appre-
ciated. r
When he AFFILIATED with Croker. Hill.
Cleveland, olpey, Carlisle and other
Eastern Democrats and proclaimed him
self Democrat, he alienated large re-
form vote in the West.
When he talked reform and insisted
upon a reform platform, he alienated the
vote of the old-line Democracy and II
is a wonder he got as big vote as he
did. Bryan and all his fusion adherents
have reasoned from false premises, and
they seem still to stick to them. They
still believe fusion of discordant ele-
ments can be made success. They are
still believing that by some slight
change in the proportion oil and water
can be mixed. They still insist that the
old-line Democrats who are gold stand
| ard men, against the income tax and
stand for concentration of wealth in all
it's most Objectionable forms should vote
with the Western Democrats and Popu-
lists, who are their natural and logical
political opponents.
rofi1 of
tempt to bring together discordant po-
litical factions is abandoned. Populists
and Socialists who agree in standing for
public ownership of public utilities but
diner only as to the extent or degree of
public ownership, can consistently work
together on an understanding to abide
by popular vote on their differences.
The Democratic supporters of con-
centrated wealth stand opposed to the
principal of government ownership.
They scoff at what they call state social
ism and regard national Socialism as
still more dangerous.
These men will never vote the same
ticket with Western Democrats, Popu-
lists and Socialists. 1t is absurd to ex-
pect 1t. 1T is nonsense to argue to re-
formers tnat these men are friends of
the masses. When election day comes
they vote solidly for their financial in
| terests. They voted on Nov for Will
| liam Mckinley and against reform.
We believe the talk of Mr.. Abbott in
the foregoing article about the plain peo-
pie, the working man and farmers Or
ganizing and looking for reform through
the Democratic party is very mislead-
ing and deluding:.
If the plain people had been thus dis
posed they would have shown it by their
votes on Nov. g. Mr.. Abbott might as
well now as later learn that the plain
people are far from sharing his con-
fidence in the Democratic party.
The Democratic party has now had
two fair and Impartial trials before the
entire mass of American voters. The
verdict was the same at both trials. Why
should the same case be given a third
hearing? What nonsense to think that
mere grit can reverse results.
The Eastern faction of the Democratic
party is the most consistent in the mat
ter OF reorganizing. That wing of the
party won the presidency twice. The
Western wing lost it twice. The East
ern wing seem justified in their claims
that they are the Democratic partv.
Populists and Socialists so regard them.
Republicans so regard them. Brvan's
supporters are nowhere regarded IS
Democrats except by Bryan and a few
ambitious Western Democrats who have
been saturated with Populism and didn't
know it. When these Western Demo-
cratic reformers fully realize that thew
are no longer Democrats, that thew must
abandon that party, that name and the
Eastern wing, and cut loose from the
whole outfit, then reformers can get to-
gether. Anti-reformers will be forced
to fight in the open and reform NAV
win.