AS DEAD AS CAESAR.

The Citizen's Movement Drops the Mask and Goes to the Wall.

Disgusted Democrats at Last See Its Real Significance.

A Sugar-Baited Trap to Lure Democratic Votes Astray.

But the Cat is Out of the Bag and the Curtain Rings Down.

The Citizen's movement is "busted." At least that is the story, and it is about time. The scales have fallen from the eyes of the otherwise Democrats who were associated with it, and they see that they have been hoodwinked by the Republicans. Last spring they went into the Independent movement in good faith, believing in the advisibility of a change. They accepted the protestations of the Republicans associated with them that they were acting in equally good faith, and the result was the tearing down of party lines and the election of the present reform administration. Less than four months of the terms of the "reformers" has expired, but it is enough to convince the wildest dreamer of Utopian politics that he made a gorgeous ass of himself when he went into a non-partisan deal in which Republicans were concerned. Ninety per cent of the 3,000 Democrats who voted for Wright and the rest are now mentally kicking themselves, and it will be many campaigns before they are wheedled into a Republican trap again. You may fool part of the people part of the time, but you can't fool all the people all the time; and it is very difficult to fool any part of the same people twice.

The citizens' movement of last spring was schemed out in the office of a prominent Republican. He saw there was great dissatisfaction in Democratic circles, and was shrewd enough to take advantage of it. He had the citizens' idea sprung, and dissatisfied Democrats grasped at the means without considering the end and the result. Well, we got the "reform administration," and there is now in St. Paul no sicker crowd of men than the very Democrats who made the present condition possible. They will not be caught this fall, and if the Republican "citizens'" idea succeeds in roping in any Democrats, it will not be those who know the inside of the working of the machine.

"We want a non-partisan ticket," shouted one of the Republican strikers, at a recent meeting, "but it must be composed of Republicans."

"Why not put some good Democrats on?" queried a member.

"Because this movement is to beat the Democrats," shrieked the other.

The mask was off, and Democrats saw they were being "played for suckers." The cat was out of the bag, and the movement has been practically disbanded. The Democrats saw the Republicans were perfectly willing to put good men on the ticket, provided they were also good Republicans, and the latter proviso took precedence of the first. Some of the Democrats, at least, who attended the Tuesday night meeting will no longer play the role of cats for the Republican monkey to use in pulling his chestnuts out of the fire; and, if the GLOBE's information is correct, the movement has seen its last days. A citizens' movement is a good thing in its way, but it is a poor way when Democrats are made to play the patriotic role for the benefit of scheming Republicans.