The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-09-12

Vote 1t was enacted by a Republican
congress and signed BY Republican
president
That was the beginning of sorrows. y
Every effort subsequently made to rem
iedy the evil was opposed by a majority
of the Republicans both in and out Of
congress.
In 1876, when there was a majority of
Democrats in the House but not in the
ISenate, a free coinage bill was intro
lduced in the House to remedy the
wrong done in 1878. Many Republicans
had said the decentralization" act was
passed under misunderstanding of its
purport. For the free coinage bill 124
Democrats voted aye and but II nay;
while Al Republicans voted for and 36
against it. The Republican Senate
Ismothered the bill. A similar fate be-
Efel the free coinage bill introduced in
1877.
In 1875 when there was again DEM
iocratic House. Bland, the consistent
and determined advocate of silver, in
,troduced bill which put the silver
dollar back to its position as money,
making it a legal tender for all dues
icept when otherwise specified in a con-
tract 1t also provided for the coinage
of four million silver dollars monthly.
at the ratio of 16 to with gold. The
vote stood 122 Democrats in favor of
the bill and q against: "a Republicans
for and 50 against. In the Senate %
democrats voted for the BILL against;
q Republicans for and 10 against The
Republican President vetoed the bill
and it was through Democratic energy,
passed over the Presidents veto.
An effort was made by the Republic
ASS in 1885 to stop silver coinage alto
gether. 1t was voted on by SO Demo-
icrats for the bill and 100 against; by
/ 81 Republicans for and 1 against Thus
showing again that the Democrats were
the friends of silver coinage and the
Republicans its enemies. A free coin
age bill at the same session received So
| democratic votes for and 20 against;
80 Republicans for and 80 against.
In 1890, Bland, Democrat, offered a
free coinage motion when the Sherman
ibullion bill was under discussion. He
was supported by 101 Democrats and IA
Republicans, and opposed by 10 Demo-
Gratis and 1SS Republicans The Sher-
man law was introduced to prevent the
enactment OF a free coinage measure
and save President Harrison from hav-
ing to veto l. 1t was passed by strict
party vote. In the House 90 Democrats
but no Republicans voted against it; in
the Senate 26 Democrats and no Repub-
| licans opposed it. In the House. 121
Republicans voted for the miserable
makeshift and in the Senate 80 Repub-
ilicans. No Democrats voted for the
Isubterfuge.
In 1888 the purchase clause of the
Sherman act was repealed by the fol-
flowing final vote: House-for the bill.
Democrats. 129, Republicans, SO;
against, Democrats IS, Republicans IS;
IPopulists 6. Senate for repeal-Demo-
lcras 20, Republicans 90: against, Dem
Iocrats 10, Republicans 9, Populists T.
These figures, culled from the Congress
lsional Record. speak louder than other
arguments. They bear out the conclu-
sion arrived at by Senator John p
Jones and other prominent silver men.
There is no hope for the free coinage of
silver at 16 to l through the Repub-
lican party.
The Democratic party is the natural
hard money party. We do not claim
that its members are united as to free
coinage. Many who are solid silver
men in the full sense hesitate to move
for the unlimited coinage of silver at
16 to l without an international agree
Iment. But that the West and the South
by union of effort, especially if the
new states now forming declare for sill
yer and the Democratic party, can SO
control affairs at the presidential cleo
ition of 1896 that silver can be rehabili- |
tated, and once more the great--un-
yielding and constitutional Democratic
party VIII be sustained as the old
time and everlasting champion of gem
uine bimetallism.