The representative., 1900-09-20
s. M. OWEN.

utmost. at all times during the pas.
ten years, to destroy the Populist party
and to lead it into the grave.
In the very outstart he denied that
there was a financial issue: there was
no question as to the kind Of money;
or the amount to be issued.
What we needed was free trade"-
a reduction of the tariff!
And yet the Democratic party-for
this was Democratic doctrine always
When it carried the country it raised
the tariff, and put into execution an
attempt to reduce the amount of cur
rency! And to this end it cut in half
the money supply by stopping the coin
age of .silver!!
This is the Democratic doctrine and
to this program Mr.. Owen was and is
COMMUNICATION he always was and still
is a Democrat.
When we began to build up the Peo-
pies party in Minnesota, as there was
no chance to win as a Democrat, Mr..
Owen reluctantly united with us. From
the start he desired to detach enough
Populists from the Republican party to
insure his welcome in the Democratic
camp, for he found that alone he
amounted to nothing, and that he must
come at the head of recruits or not at
all. And that these recruits must be
equal to the difference between the
Democrats and the Republicans, and SO
sufficient to turn the scale in the state.
He had another duty to perform. 1t
was to keep the platform of the Popu-
lists as near to the Democratic doc
trines as possible, so that when the
time came to turn the Peoples party
over to the Democratic party there
would be as little to sacrifice as pos
sible.
Hence he favored trimming the
platform of the Populists, wherever
possible.
He did not believe in "free silver"
He thought the time had not yet come
for it, because the Populists did not
unite in it's support!
And it was not we'll to divide the or
ganization!
No one could see any evidence of this
division except S. M. Owen! And when
Bryan made his campaign on free sill
yer" in 1896, then and not till then S.
NJ came into line.
And so it was at every stage of the
game. He was literally dragged for
ward by the legs.
Then came the question of uniting
with the Democrats in 1885, He sup
ported it.
Then came the question of the nomi-
nation of Hon. Thomas Watson. He was
nominated and abandoned! s.. M.
Owen helped to nominate him, and was
the first to quit him.
In 1898 he was the cause of a per-
manent division in the Populist ranks.
Mr.. Donnelly made q speech for har-
mony. Owen replied by a passionate
TRADE of abuse that tore the party in
half
He is now endorsed by the Democratic
party for railroad commissioner against
two of the best men in the state,
J. ]. Hibbard, Duluth, the Populist
candidate, and c. F. Staples, of Dakota
county, the Republican candidate, and
he will go around the state telling them
he is a Populist! And when he comes
face to face with a Democratic audience
he will tell them: I'VE all think
alike" and I'VE should all march un-
der one banner!"
We hope no man who loves the fair
fame of his noble state will vote for s.
M. Owen He is neither fish, flesh nor
good red herring" He is not the Popu-
list nominee, but put up by lot of ad-
venturers, as eager for Office as himself
He was labeled and ticketed "Populist,"
so as to drive hard bargain with the
Democrats, for If he had stood alone he
would never have been chosen.
Think of the men who are nominated
against him-Hibbard and Staples.
Neither Populists nor Republicans need
60 begging for candidate.
And in point of ability our own J. J.
Hibbard far surpasses him, as can be
readily demonstrated by a public dis
cussion between the two.
Who will get it up? I. D.