Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-10-14
arty ID so equallY. divided between ,,l .,,

party il 50 equsll divided between
reformers and ,plutccrats that the
populist vote yould. tip the scale,
then it is not the party we want. If
we. have to adevote our energies to
fighting the enemy Of reform inside Ct
the party, how: can we expect to &C
complish anything? When the demo-
cratic party has taken it's stand in
next years convention and driven out
the Cleveland-Hill- German element,
adopted q platform in accordance
with populist principles and MONT.
mated candidates in perfect sympathy
with such = platform, then it may with
propriety: invite friends of reform to
fight in it's ranks. This idea of
taking an old hulk and building
new ship out of it is not to our liking.
If they can prove that they have put
the ship into good condition and
scraped off the barnacles of pluto
cracy it would come with, better grace
for them to invite passengers -,
!. In order to, prove, that the demo-
cratic party deserves the support of
the Dopulists, Wheelock persisteutly
points to the fight Tom johnson Is
waging in Ohio, It would be just as
natural for the republicans to point to
Governor LaFollette of Wisconsin as
q proof that the republican party is
opposed to- corporate control of
politics. No man in the United States
today is waging q more persistent
and unyielding fight against unjust
corporation influences than the gallant
LaFollette. But LaFollette is not the
republican party; sneither is Tom
Johnson the democratic party. We
have pointed out once before that even
In Ohio it was only by his influence
with the state committee that he
managed to beat the opposition in his
own party. We may admire Tom
johnson and LaFollette and wish
both of them success IN their battles.
But neither one can be used as q proof
that his party is right.
The populists can afford to sit on
the fence for while longer till they
see how things shape themselves.
Having declared their independence of
both the old parties there is practi-
cally nothing more for them to do
until it is known positively what in
fluences will control the old. parties.
We have little If any doubt that the
reorganizers will control the demo-
cratic party in spite of the handful of
able men mentioned by Wheelock as
fighting for Bryan democracy in the
west. When that Is definitely settled
we can apply to the reform democrats
the test of sincerity they are now
prematurely trying to apply to popu-
lists; We shall see then if they place
principle above party. While wait
ing for these events to clear the skies
we need not be entirely inactive. We
can advocate our principles without
asking for any party allegiance.
Should those principles unexpectedly
be adopted by either of the old parties
and the plut. ats driven out of it, no
true populist would regret that the
necessity for third party had passed
away. But there Is very little ground
for hope of such an event taking place.
Time alone can determine whether
or not the peoples party has q future.
But we will not help destroy the
possibility for the only party fully
representing our ideas by advocating
an attempt to reform an old party
that Is more than half rotten.