The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-10-12
SILVER AND THE TWO PARTIES.

]. in the Republican party, is plain to
all unbiased citizens who are acquaint-
ed with the facts IN the case. Senators
Jones and Stewart, those stalwart Re
publicans of many years. who cham
pioned in that party the silver cause,
have demonstrated that in their long
experience. But according to the Salt
Lake Tribune, which has been the
echo of their sentiments and argu-
ments for more than a decade, they
are now either ''knaves or imbeciles."
1t classes all people under that head
who declare that any other party than
the Republican party will restore sill
yer.
1t is strange that the Tribune will
persist in it's assertion that the Demo-
cratic party smashed silver" when
its own columns contain the refutation
of that falsehood- We say it is strange,
because one would naturally suppose
that a sane paper would refrain from
so exposing its own mendacity. How
ever, after so many blank contradic-
tons of it's own utterances which have
been pointed out, perhaps, after all, its
present faulty is not to be wondered
at
That the characterization of silver in
1873 was chargeable to the Republican
party, and whether rushed through
Congress by a trick or otherwise, was
planned by John Sherman and carried
out by a Republican administration, is
al oat
irrefuta.ble fact is that during the
twenty years the Republican party re-
manned in national power, with full
opportunity and ability to remedy the
wrong of 1873, that party not only re-
fused to do it, but by large najorities
of its members vehemently opposed
and voted down every measure de-
signed by Democrats to restore silver
We need not quote the record again
IN proof of this, nor to show beyond
question that the Republicans were
even more anxious thanb the Demo-
Gratis to repeal the purchase clause of
the Sherman act-the only thing that
the Republican organ here can seize
upon as an excuse for its silver
smashing falsehoods. We have quoted
the figures that prove these things and
will not just now repeat them.
But we will bring forward evidence
that even the Salt Lake Tribune ought
not to dispute. It comes from Re
publican source and was published in
a recognized national Republican or
gan. 1t was written and printed to
prove that the Democratic party is
the free silver party, that all endea-
vors since 1873 to restore free coinage
have come from the Democrats in Con-
gress, and all measures and most of
the votes for its defeat have come
from the Republicans
We call as this witness Roswell G.
Horn, Of whom the Salt Lake Tribune
has said so many complimentary things
as a true Republican and a stalwart
champion of Republican principles.
What he said appeared in the New
York Tribune. 1t is called 1.-THE Story
of the Sherman Law" and shows what
led up to the passage of that law and
the manner of the repeal of its pur-
chasing clause. It is too lengthy to
reproduce in full. We must be content
WITH a rev quotations
He shows that the Sherman act was
originally framed by Mr. Window, Sec
rotary of the Treasury under Harrison.
1t was to supplant the Bland-Allison
act which provided for the coinage of
100000 silver dollars per month. 1t
was called up in the House June 5,
1890. by MIR. Mckinley. Mr.. Horn says:
"After debate the resolution was
adopted by a vote of 119 to u.s. The
vote was made up as follows: Ten Re
publicans from states west of THE
Missouri river voted with 10S Demo-
Gratis in the negative. Not a single
Democrat in the Houpse voted in the
Affirmative. The entire 119 affirmative
votes for honest money were cast by
Republicans.
A number of motions We're made by
Democrats to amend or defeat the
measure and Mr.. Horr remarks:
"Thereupon Mr. Bland moved to re-
commit it to the Committee on Coinage
with instructions to report a bill in lieu
thereof for the free coinage of silver
This motion was rejected by vote
of ZIG yeas to 140 nays. The vote in
favor of recommitment and free silver
were cast 102 by Democrats, Il by Re-
publicans from districts west of the
Missouri river, with the exception Of
Mr.. Allen, of Michigan, who voted with
the free coinage men. OF the votes in
the negative against free silver 10
were cast by Democrats and 127 by Re
publicans.
1.-The bill was then passed by a vote
Of 1876 to 119. On this vote seven Re-
publicans only were recorded in the
negative, and thus in favor of free sill
yer.
1T thus became apparent that the
Republican members of the List Con-
gress were almost unanimously in favor
of honest money, while the Democratic
members of the House were nearly as
unanimously in favor of the free coin
age of silver"
In the Senate there was a similar
struggle, resulting in the passage of
free coinage bill as a substitute for the
Sherman act, the vote being, according
to Mr.. Horn, IS to "a OF these % Dem
ocrats and IA Republicans voted for
free silver and % Republicans and 8
Democrats against, and, says Mr.. Horn:
TT will thus be seen that the Demo-
Gratis of the List Congress placed them
selves in favor of the free coinage Of
silver in the Senate by a vote of 90 to 8,
and the House of Representatives by
vote of 102 to 49,
When the bill went back to the
House the free coinage men rallied to
its support. 1t was rejected by a vote
Of 135 yeas to 152 nays. OF the 135
votes for free silver all but % were of
Democrats. The bill went to confer
ence committee and the substitute now
known as the Sherman act was adopt
ed in committee. Mr.. Horn adds: