New Ulm review., 1901-05-08
Is the Republican Party to Embrace Pop
uliSm?

Albert Lea Standard: Is the republi-
can party going to tiop2 Is it about to
succumb to the persistent missionary
work of the desplsed populists? Or is
it about to steal, with its characteristic
and usblushlng assurance, the thunder
of the peoples party. Many recent signs,
notably its growing partiallty to the ref
e1endum, to the election of United
States senators by direct vote of the
people, and now to It's threatened en-
dorsement and advocacy of national and
municipal ownership OF the means of
transportation and communication and
other public utilities, indicate that the
republican party is speedily being forced
to embrace populism and become the
champion of the long g-abused principles
| for which it has stood inhexlble for 10,
these many years.
The most recent advices from the
head and front and hot-bed of old time
relentless republicans, from Ohio, Mark
Hanna's and McKinley's own special
preserve, are important and mighty in
teresting, and give evidence of party
change of front that almost takes ones
breath. In speech last Wednesday be-
fore the presidential postmaster's associ-
alton of Ohio, Gen. Chas. W. Dick, con
gresham and chairman of the republi-
can state executive committee, marked
out some startling departures from usu-
al republican campaign issues, and lndi-
Gated what to expect in the next repub-
lican state platform. General Dick said
he favored government ownership of all
means of communication and that he
fully indorsed the postal savings system.
'Sooner or later,' he said, sstelegraph
and telephone lines of the country will
be owned and operated by the govern
ment, and it is proper they should be,
for if the government can send mes
sage by wire for five cents it has no
right to permit private corporation to
extort 25 cents for the same service"
Dick betrayed no sign that this was
the first time he ever spoke on the mu-
nlcipal ownership side of the question,
and the postmasters, recognizing it as a
new slogan, applauded the sentiment
vigorously. Important conferences of the
Ohio republican leaders was held the
following night, at which it was decided
to get into the field first with the declar-
alton for municipal ownership.
Here is populism for you, and a good,
stiff dose at that. Have the populists
converted the leaders of the republican
party, or have they been forced by tie
portents of the coming storm to change
front and fall into the line? It makes
little difference what has caused the
promised revolution IN the party, if it
has honestly. and really come.
All the same 1t is the most moment
Gus change in the creed of party ever
known in national politics, the most
sweeping conversion of one party, and
the dominant party, at that, to the prin-
ciples and policies of a berated and
abominated minority party, that was ev-
er know in history.
In response to query propounded by
the Review the Morris Sun goes on rec
ord with reference to the primary cleo
tion law and the gross earnings bill as
follows:
We are inclined to regard the primary
law with doubt and the gross earnings
measure with suspicion. Having little
faith that the primary law really places
public before interest, for we never in
our experience knew practical politi-
clans to lend cheerful and enthusiastic
support 70 measure designed to legis-
late them out of place and power, we do
not expect much in the way of reform
from this enactment. There are so many
growing a a d powerful interests that
would profit by the abolition of the
gross earnings method os taxation, those
of the cities where terminals are located
for instance, that we regard this law as
one that will eventually change the sys-
tenn of railroad taxation SO that these
terminal points. instead of the state at
large, will derive the benefit.
| For Sale.
/ $ III