The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1894-01-29
CITY.
JAN. 20. 1894
UTAH POLITICS.

The Provo DISPATCH is ekeptical OF
the fact mentioned by the Herald that
there are many people IN Utah who
take no interest in politics. When it
understands the real situation The DIS
PATCH will change its mind. Provo is
not Utah. There are hosts of folks
who profess to be disgusted with poll
tics, and at the last election in Salt
Lake considerably more than three
thousand registered voters did not go
to the polls.
The above from the Herald needs
and is entitled to little attention on
our part, and faith. it shall receive it,
hit or miss. We are not surprised to
hear that over three thousand voters
refused to 60 to the polls in that city
at the last election. We do not ascribe
that fact as the Herald does to lack of
interest In politics generally, but rather
to the fact that the democratic voters
have dispaired of the restoration of sill
yer and remained away to convey in
this way a reproof to the present ad-
ministration for the policy it has seen
fit to pursue in the matter OF such restor-
alton. 1t is mistaken policy we
readily conceed. Indeed, we blame it
far more severely than the Herald does
or can, but after all there is a good deal
of human nature in it. The democrats
of the entire west feel wounded, disap-
pointed and chagrined that the first
real democratic administration we
have had since the war, is so directed
that one of the principal industries of
Utah, and. indeed, the entire west, is
held down to the low level upon
which it was placed, by repu blican
administration. This result, so far as
the democratic voters are concerned,
was undoubtedly obtained by the wish
TO convey reproof to the. administra-
ton. This is dangerous policy,
especially in this territory. as iis- Is is
situated today. 1t Is not the remedy,
and besides it is doomed to failure be-
cause the president is not man to be
moved by tactics such as these.
So far as the restoration of silver is
concerned we may as well dismiss any
hope for that if it at all depends upon
presidential action. But we will have,
OF rather we hope to have another dem
ocratic administration next time and
If we protest in this way, by not voting,
we fear We will protest away our
strength and will then be in no condi-
ton to assist our friends when the real
struggle for silver comes on. We may as
we'll look the matter squarely in the face
now. because sooner or later we will
be compelled to face il, when and
where no lodging will be possible
Nor does it do any good to atte mpt to
deny that the administrations atti-
tude on the silver question is respon
sible for the fact that today we have a
republican legislature in Utah. If we
would make a republican state of this
for all time, this is the policy to pur.
sue; but if we would restore the terri.
tory to its old-time decided and enthusi-
astic DEMOCRACY, our national admins
tration must return to the old demo
cratic doctrine of free coinage or the
equally democratic doctrine of the
equality of silver with gold as a
marker of values.
We make no claim that Provo is in
and Of herself, Utah, but Utah county
with her thirty thousand people is a
rather sizesble slice of it; with her at
tachments and sympathies in central
and southern Utah considered, she
may Justly claim to be the greater part
of the territory, especially in any po-
litical sense. 1t would be we'll for the
Herald and Salt Lake to consider the
matter in the light we here suggest
Such course may save troublesome com.
plications in the future.
What kept the republican voters
away from the polls at Salt Lake we
will not pretend to say, for certain, but
we doubt not that the certainty that
the eastern republicans stand on this
subject just where the national admin
istration does, and the further fact
that they remember that it was the
national republican administration
which first struck down silver, has dis
gusted them with politics to the ex-
tent that many of them rename
away from the polls also. If we would
restore the interest in politics, both
parties must get in line with the plain
interests and sympathies of the people
Neither can effect this, either now OF
in the future, unless they range them.
selves up behind and in support of the
white money metal of the ages, of
which our mountains are full, full to
the capacity of making fair Utah the
richest land on this earth today