The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-06-09
Speculating on a Word

Republican papers are devoting many
columns of space to dissertations on the
disasters which are to come to the coun-
try, from the policy to be pursued by
President CLEVELAND, and the dreadful
things to be done in the way of legislation
by tht Democratic party.
Perhaps it is too much to expect that
they viii wait till something definite is
done before they indulge in much criti-
cism. December, or even Septem Der, is
too far off for impatient Republican OBJ
jectors, and so we are treated to attacks
upon anticipated Democratic blunders
and animadyersion upon reported decla-
rations of Democratic intentions. These
are all premature, to say the least.
1t is never sale to predict much on tele-
graphic reports of ''interviews'' with
prominent persons. A special session of
Congress has been determined on at diff
ferent dates number OF times according
to such reports, and the policy of the
| .
and to the tariff has been stated in so
many different ways that people who pin
their faith to such rumors are greatly
puzzled.
One of the fruitful themes for rabid Re-
publican papers just now is the Presi-
DENTS alleged statement, which is itali-
cized or presented in small caps, that
Congress will be called upon to deal with
the financial condition, which is the only
menace to the country S welfare and pros
perity." The extended criticism provoked
by this reported remark by PREsI-
DENT CLEVELAND in an interview, turns
entirely on the word 'sonly''. which
may be the reporters adjective, and
whether SO or not is very small point on
which to perform SO many journalistic
antics.
In the first place 1t is assumed to me n
hostility to the white metal, and the de-
nunciet1ons of CLEVELAND for his atti-
tude on silver are plentiful. Next it is
/ interpreted to mean that abe robber tariff
is not, after all, ga menace to the coun-
try's welfare, - and therefore all the ar
guments against protection and its disas-
trous effects have been dishonest and de-
ceptlve.
Now suppose the president did not use
the word "only'' or that.he simply stated
that the financial condition of the coun-
! try was the greatest or most formidable
menace to the welfare of the country, or
the most important question to come be-
fore Congress, or the first subject for its
attention, would there be anything incor-
rect or out Of the way in his assertion?
The Democratic party is virtually
pledged to the repeal of the SHERMAN
law as much as to the reform OF the tariff.
That singular piece of Republican legis-
lation is denounced in the Chicago plat
form as "a cowardly makeshiftv and as
''fraught with possibilities OF danger in
the future.D This seems to be the COM
mon view of it, shared by Republicans
and Democrats alike Why should
CLEvELAND's reported desire for the re-
peal of that law be construed to mean
hostility to silver, when it is admitted
that what he says about it is the truth?
What is to follow the repeal of the
SHERMAN law is another question. The
Democratic platform pronounces in favor
of ''the use of both gold and silver as the
standard money OF the country, and to
the coinage of both gold and silver with
out discriminating against either metal
or charge for mintage.' but also declares
that 1.-THE dollar unit of coinage Of both
metals must be of equal intrinsic and ex-
changeable value.'' When these senti-
ments are coupled with the denunciation
of the SHERMAN law in the platform o.
the party, and are in accord with the
views OF e majority OF the people of the
country irrespective of party. why should
President CLEVELAND be assailed as an
fenemy of silver for his alleged statement
about the financial condition which is
undeniably correct?
Republican sophists may play upon 8