Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 89, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 July 1899 — PASSING OF THE POPS. [ARTICLE]

PASSING OF THE POPS.

DECLINE OF A PARTY WHICH ONCE SHOWED STRENGTH. Prominent Western Men Are Abandoning Populism and Signs of the Party’s Early Demise Begin to Multiply—Democrats Find Issues Scarce Ex-Senator Peffer and Senator Harris of Kansas have signified their intention to return to the Republican party. In doing this they followed rather than led in a genera) exodus from the Populist party in the West. The New York Sun publishes letters from eight Western and Southern States regarding this decline of Populism. These letters contain authoritative statements from Populist and Democratic leaders. They show incidentally general agreement on the point that in no State, except Nebraska, will a fusion ticket be accepted by the Populists in 1900. Prominent Populists, in admitting that their party is not so strong as it w T as three years ago, argue that the decrease in strength comes from desertion of Democrats who were Populists only in name. The situation as stated by the correspondents of the Sun is in brief as follows: Arkansas—Populism as a name is unquestionably dying out. Populism as an idea, however, is strong with the Democrats as well as tile fusionists. The rank and file of the Populist party have returned to the Democratic fold and the Populists will probably not nominate a State ticket in 1900. In 1894 the Populist candidate for Governor received 24,541 votes. In 1897, H.

8. Morgan, Populist, received only 8,582 votes. Texas—The Populist party is a mere shadow of its former self. The plan of the middle-of- the-road Populists is to pursue vigorously the lines of action laid out at their first national convention at Omaha in 1892, to repudiate fusion, to oppose Bryan, and to make a straight fight for men like Barker and Donnelly. In 1894 the Populist vote for Governor was nearly 200,000. The Populists who are Democrats have returned to their old party, and it is estimated that the middle-of-the-road people, led by Milton Park, will notcast more than 50,000 votes. Outside of the middle-of-the-road faction there Isjw Populist party in Texas. lowa—PopqJlsgj has almost disappeared from the State exTPpt as it manifests Itself through the regular Democratic organization. Thousands of Republicans who voted for Bryan in 1896 have returned to the Republican party. The Populist party, which never polled more than 34,000 votes in lowa, lost its Identity in 1896 when it entered Into fusion with the Democrats. Nebraska—According to ex-Governor Populism in Nebraska is just about holding its own. The middle-of-the-road element, which is against fusion, has been growing in strength. The silver Republican element has practically disappeared. Minnesota—Fusion killed Populism in Minnesota. The campaign of the fusion candidate in 1898 demoralized the Populists instead of strengthening them. The present Governor is not a Populist and his success as a fusionlst promoted irritations in the Populist party. Missouri—The fusionists in the Populist party are going into the camp of the Union Reform party. The leaders of the middle-of-the-road faction, according to one of the most prominent Populists in the State, have no strength of themselves and no breadth of mind. He believes Populism in Missouri Is dead. Montana—The Populist party in Montana has ceased to be a potent factor in politics. The silver Republicans are returning to their party, and it is stated that Senator Lee Mantle will be found in the Republican ranks in tjbe next campaign. ’ South Dakota—The machinery of the Populist party in South Dakota has t>een captured by politicians, who formed an alliance with the Democrats. Even the fusionists are tired of Pettigrew, and the downfall of the fusionlst party and the retirement of Pettigrew are twa things looked forward to by both Populists and Republicans. Thus passes the party which, but

three short years ago, impressed ttin intelligent Democracy so deeply with the. idea of its enduring strength that the heritage of Jefferson and Jackson was sold to it for a mess of demio gogical issues and heterogeneous votes. —Chicago Inter Ocean. Still Hunting an Issue. After all their recent beating of drums about trusts the Democratic managers discover that they can claim no exclusive ground on that subject. The Republican party has deciared r against trusts in former national plat-' forms and has not changed its views. Democrats might use more words in writing a plank against oppressive business combinations, but all that is essential will be embodied in the Repub-1 lican national platform of next year, and people will understand that it means something in action, which is proverbially not the case with Democratic planks. Silver is still a necessity to the Democratic party. Bryan’s cross I of gold hah become a poor piece of stage property, but he would be a ridiculous candidate without the old ratio, which he has insisted was the keynote of prosperity. To drop silver at 16 to 1 would be to obliterate Bryan. Only his shadow would remain, a grotesque reminder of a huge and admitted blunder. Equally unpromising for Democratic uses is the situation in the Philippines. Democrats have grown shy of the word expansion. They prefer to speak of imperialism or militarism. No sentiment of the kind exists in the United States, but possibly a fog can be raised on the subject Some Democratic papers want no nonsense on this point The Brooklyn Eagle remarks that “As for opposition to expansion, events by

the fall of 1900 will quite probably ! make it so Quixotic and unpatriotic | that any political party espousing the I issue will likely feel that it would ba3 better had a millstone been hanged 1 around its neck and had it been cast J into the depths of the sea.” The Penn-1 sylvania Democratic State convention ! has just endorsed Bryan as “our match*gl less leader,” but is silent on the Chi- J cago platform, referring approvingly 1 instead to “the platforms of our sev- a era! national conventions.” Democrats a find issues distressingly scarce. Tbs 1 old are played out and the new after • | short trial prove to be worthless.— Louis Globe-Democrat The Greatest Value. * Thejs is nothing so valuable as to tel beyond price. The friendship of our British’cousins is to be highly and carefully cherished. It should not be lightly let go, but better it should go ‘j than that our present good times j should go. Valuable as It is, it Is not so | valuable as Is the prosperity of tte S American people. The proposition 1 therefore made by some British statest-1 men tbat the friendliness now eriatfng l between this country and Great Brit- a aln should be used as a lever with | which to do away with our protective!! tariff Is the most arrant nonsense. Theyfl might, with as much show of reason, ? ask. us to contribute to the expense*fl of the royal family. British Interests 1 would undoubtedly be subserved in J either of these two cases. But Amert* | can interests have first place, in our fl consideration yet, and American lnter»« ests demand the continuance of our 4 present prosperity-bringing policy of | protection. Loasea Are Not L«rgt. The doleful stories which the Aguln-fl aldo papers tell of the losses sustainadjl by our army in the Philippines are not ‘I verified by the official records. Fmwtfl the landing of our first troops, near.fll Cavite, June 30, 1898, until June s, fl| 1899, the date of General Otis’ last re* 11 port, 364 men have died of disease and fl other causes than battle. This loss la fl an army which, first and last, numbeE*fl; ed 40,000 men, is remarkably considering the circumstances. tween Feb. 4 and June 6, 226 men killed in battle and 69 died of woundfc|l| Thus the deaths from all causes tefl June 6 were 659. During the first of the late war for the Union a division lost more men by disease tMMB has the army in the Philippines. COfiW sidering the losses which are reported 1 by British armies In hotWmtete death roll of the PhiUpjdne gifay O surprisingly small. If