The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1902-11-21


populist party cut no figure in tho
election returns. Latent popultism
iufects all plrJles. 1t exists in the
safest times of abundant prosperity
employment ard high wages. 1t is
disease whose germ lurk in the
heahhvest social body. ready to
spring into dangerous activity
vhyu morbid conditions Of depress-
ion, under employment and low
wages grow out of the reaction
froi,. over production excessive
speculation aud expansion Of credit.
Pnnulism is tho barren discomfort
of envy, which was with the fertile
d;sccuent of ambition. 1t is jealousy
OF superior success due to super
ior energy and progress 1t is envy
Of larger wealth, due to superior
talent and thrift 1t is battered
of superiority Of every Kind. 1t
is the sullen rage Of class antagon-
ism. plotting ..or battling to rob
energy and thrift of its reward to
endow Incidence and incapaci ty.
It is war against natures law of
survival of the fittest attacking the
sound social organization as a
disesae saps the physical vigor of
the race.
It is coeval with human society.
1t drew the fire of AristOphanes
when Athens was the light Of the
world. 1t helped pull down the
splendid structure Of the world of
the Roman republic. 1t has hung
on the skirts of every revolution
for human freedom, from Marius to
Washington, STRIVING to drag it into
the leveling excuses of the error
and the commune. 1t hides III the
obcure recesses of all national life
today, menacing social decay and
political extinction. 1t is only in
times of social stress that populism
can crystalline into political parties.
Then it spreads from the few per-
lnanent enemies of society to the
ignorant many blinded by the pain
of hard conditions and ready to
grasp at any quick remedy offered.
Then clever demagogues can organ
ize it into political force to feed
their greed 1T satisfy their ambition
and we have populists parties. With
return of normal conditions, the
parties crumble and the demagOgues
have to take refuge where they can.
But the spirit of populism does not
disappear. It's demagogic : ministers
carry this spirit with them int o
sounder parties. The disease ls
scattered like a badly treated ulcer,
or a social evil driven from it's
local habitat by the dangerous zeal
of Parkhurst.
Popuism has disappeared in Mimi
esota and the United States but is
dem agogic leaders remain. They
have scattered through what they
use to call 1.-The two old parties, y
carrying their poison with them.
They are even more dangerous in
this ambuscale than they were in
the open. They are no less at war
with the saner forces Of society and
these are no less bound to eternal
Vi ii; nee and energy in war upon
I'll; Il. If we are breed from the
We of strenuous war ont he popu-
lists who call themselves republicans
or democrats. This war is only the
effort of healthy society to expel
disease.
1t is especially incumbent upon
Republicans, WIZ e"7o'tlAO w ASIA"
sent the the sounder principles of
civilization and progress, too deny
the populism refuge while it is
lying in wait for a new attack upon
society. The best use that can Ike
made Of the breathing spell given
by the disappearance of the populists
party is to weed porulists out Of
places Of honor and power in the
republican party and SO maintain
the vigor that has made it saving
in the social and political life Of the
nation.