Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-05-17
SILVER A PARTY ISSUE.


IT 10 reported that Governor Penn
oyer Of Oregon, n Democrat, bol,ed his
party short time ago, because at tho
State Convention he failed In having
a plank calling for free aud unl'nited
coinage Of silver inserted In tho plat.
form. Furthermore, It is said that no
has pronounced in favor OF the Peoples
party.
This, taken In connection with the
establishment OF silver clubs In the
West tho avowed object OF which Is
independent action OF the character
adopted by Govfnor Pennoyer, Ia
somewhat signi6j VT. The treatment
accorded the Blarb.sill In the House
has caused moro 81. 80 ssss dissatisfaction
among the free silver Democrats. Tho
Reriev Of Reviews, speaking entirely
from a non-partisan view, says:
"Unlimited silver coinage at the pres
ont ratio Is not u cause with which we are
In sympathy but It must DO confessed
that is discontinue was won by in
glorious means. Obstruction in legls-
latiyo body Is tho denial to the people Of
FREQ and open rule. The silver question
ought TO have come to a vote at tho APP
pointed time"
Tho theory on which this criticism
Ia based Ia tina. by the underlined atti.
tude Of the party rs whole on this
issue the "gold bugs" Of the East and
the "sliver fanatics" Of the South are
being frightened out OF the party.
The Rerisio Of Rouieios Is OF oplnion
that tho Peoples party, or In other
words, the Farmers Alliance, will
play more important part In the
pending campaign than IL generally
anticipated. Tho announcement Of
Oregon's governor would seem To give
color to this supposltiou. The RsUiep
contends that from present indications
tho Minneapolis Republican plat
form will DO more pronounced
than the Chicago platform In
Its attitude towards silver, and
consequently draw to II auto
silver Democrats, while free silver
Democrats win take refuge In the
Peoples patty.
1t must be remembered that since
the ReHs0 article was written, and
since Pennoyer's change, the holding
Of an International monetary confer.
ence has been declared an assured
certainty. The most pow erful nations
OF Europe are now in communication
with tho United States on this
| question. 1t is possible that tho pro-
posed conference will not accomplish
all that IL desirable, but no sensible
Democrat or Repul lean will halt his
party until the result OF that congress
10 published.
According TO DIR. G)rdy's historical
trestuent OF the slavery issus rs a
party question In 1854, free silver
at present furnishes sort OF
parallel. There are pro aud
anti'silver men now, as there were
pro and anti.slsvery men then,
In both parties. The attitude Of South
ern Democrats at that tune disrupted
their party aud finally they lost sb.
solutely what they fought so vigorous.
ly for.
In view OF the fact that monetary
conference is now n certainty, II would
be folly for either Democrats or Repub.
licsns to precipita,e crisis that would
only result in financial chaos for a
considerable time. Polk, Weaver,
anu Donnelly, though active pollti.
clans and would.be reiormerp, are not
the material Of which great leaders
are made. They will do everything
possible to make capital out OF the
dissatisfaction caused by the Bland
bill, but conservative men should 70.
member that these agitatlrs are ideal.
lists blown about by every chance
zephyr, now greenbaok, now sub.treas.
ury, now silver, aud tomorrow who
knows what?