The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-09
S. OAK. DEMOCRATS
A COMPLETE AMALGAMATI0N OF
FopUIIsT WITH DEMOCRATIC
PARTY A CERTAINTY
THE DEFEAT OF PETTIGREW
Was Due to Republican Money and
His Own RadicaIisnl-A ReorEan-
lied Party Will Redeem the
State From RepubIicanisH.
sneciaI to Tic Globe.

Special to The Globe.
SIOUX FALLS, S D.. Dee. S-A COM
plete reorganization of the democratic
party of South Dakota is in prospect.
Since the election of last year the Popu-
list party of the state has been steadily
disintegrating, and it is now reasonably
safe to predict that as a party It Will not
participate in any more state campaigns.
A semblance of the organization may be
maintained in few counties, where
Democratic supremacy renders it neces-
sary from a Populist standpoint to main
tain an organization for the purpose OIL
effecting a division of the county offices
between the Democrats and Popullsts.
But in the strong Republican counties the
Populist party, which at one time COLI
trolled the state, need not be taken INTO
future consideration. Future political
battles in South Dakota will be between
the Democratic and Republican parties,
and the former will therefore contain all
voters who are unalterably opposed 20
the policies of Republicanism in general
and the Republican party in South Da-
kota in particular. Far-seeing Popullsts
are aware that the Democrat party must
in future act as the bulWark between the
people and the Republican party, and are
therefore casting their lots with the
Democratic organization. In the with
= drawal of the Populist party from active
participation in state political affairs, the
Democratic party will receive the great
est benefit. A large per cent, probably as
high as seventy or eighty per cent, OF
the men who have heretofore been Popu-
lists will align themselvs with the Demo-
cratic organization. Many of these were
Republicans prior to joining the Populist
party, but they are forever out of touch
with their old love, due to the trust-fos-
tering, subsidy-favoring and other pol
icies of the Republican party which they
deem detrimental to the interests
of the whole people, and will
become energetic and earnest DEM
ocrats. Populists who were for
merly Democrats will be glad to re-
turn to their old party, and they will be
made welcome. Some few Populists who
were formerly Republicans have returned
to the Republican party. These are most
ly men who deserted the party on the
silver question.
Every anti-Republican voter in the state
will henceforth be found in the Demo-
cratic ranks, and with judicious and con-
sentative management the Democratic
party of South Dakota can and will be-
come a power in state affairs Owing to
the apparently overwhelming victory won
in the state by the Republicans a year
of that party boastfully talk of the state
being now as solidly in the Republican
column as Iowa or any other rock-ribbed
Republican state. Out of a total vote of
nearly 600 the Republicans carried the
state by a plurality of only about H.
600. Thus a change Of only few votes
in each precinct would swing the state
against the Republicans. In the cam
paign of 1900 they had an abundance of
money, supplied by the Republican ma
tonal committee to bring about the de-
feat of r. T. PettigTew in his candidacy
to succeed himself in the United States
senate. This vast sum of money was
also used to pull through the Republican
congressional and state tickets. That it
had wonderful bearing on the result of
the election cannot be doubted. OF course,
30 far as Senator Pettigrew was con-
cerned, his defeat was brought about
largely by the radical stand he took on
the Philippine and other questions. But
without an unlimited supply of money
to perfect the really magnificent Repub-
lican organization of last year the re-
suit of the election on congressional and
state officers might have been different
AT the present time matters in state Re-
publican circles are far from harmonious,
and the Democrats realize that the time is
opportune for them to reorganize with
old and tried leaders again in command.
These leaders were temporarily displaced
by Republican renegades who in the last
campaign secured possession of the Demo-
cratic organization, which they sought
10 prostitute to their own selfish personal
ends. Never agan can they manage the
affairs of the Democratic party of South
Dakota. They will be welcome in the
ranks of the Democrats, but before again
aspiring to leadership they must serve
their time in the ranks, and, if of sufficient
ability, work their way to leadership by
pure merit
The platform of the South Dakota
Democrats in future campaigns win be
made broad enough so that every anti
Republican voter in the state can stand
npon it. But Democrats will rule the
party, and Democratic policies will pre-
vail in future Democratic state conven-
lions In the campaign of next year the
Programmed Democratic party of South