The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-09-13
THE ANTI-sILvER PARTY.

During the one Congress in which
the Democrats had majority of both
Houses with Democratic President,
! the purchase clause of the Sherman
act was repealed but free coinage
| substitute was not passed. For this
our local Republican opponents con-
stantly attack the Democratic party
as unfayorable to silver. Let us exam
Inc that proposition briefly
The purchase clause was denounced
by both parties. 1t was miserable
makeshift Of which it's author, John
Sherman, was as tired as anybody
else. It's repeal was viewed by the
friends of free silver as clearing the
way for reconciliation. The votes on
the question in both Houses show that
both parties aided in its unconditional
repeal
When a free coinage bill was pre-
sented by Democrats, if the Republi-
cans in each House had been favora-
bic to silver it would have been passed.
But While a majority of Democrats
voted for it, majority of the Repub-
licans voted against it. That was the
case when the bill was based on the
ratio of 16 to 1, and also when based
on other ratios up to 20 to 1, which
were tried successfully but failed of
passage
The repeal of the purchase clause
was necessity, as it was viewed by
both parties as one of the causes of.
the unsettling Of financial affairs that
led to the panic. The Republicans by
a large majority aided in that repeal,
but voted against the free coinage
measures introduced in its stead.
So much for the Democratic silver
record in the only Congress where they
had the majority alluded to. Now how
about the Republican silver record?
Let us look at that.
Beginning with the demonstration
act of 1873, the Republicans. holding
control of the administration, fought
every measure introduced by Demo-
Gratis for the restoration of free silver
coinage up to the time the Republi-
can party was turned down. The
same hostility existed, as we have
shown, during the last Congress, after
that party had been deposed.
The Tribune has confessed that the
Republicans in the last Congress could
have prevented the unconditional re-
peal of the purchase clause, they could
have secured the passage of a free
coinage bill at 16 to or at other ratios
proposed, but they were '.shamefully,
basely recreant to silver" That is cor
rect.
Now where have the Republicans
any ground of complaint against the
Democratic party on this question?
After casting silver down and stamp
ing upon it, after continuing for TWEEN
ty years to prevent the Democrats
from taking it up, after refusing to
join in another effort made by Demo-
Gratis in 1894 to restore silver to its
former status, they now have the in
decency and impudence to find fault
with the Democrats for not undoine in
two years lease of power the Repub
lican wrong doings of two decades!
ANSPQOlicoI oIlN6E record is one
mass of the blackness of perf1dy. 1t is
not merely blotted with inkspots. 1t is
a continuous smudge, unrelieved by
spot of silyery whiteness. The same
hatred of the white metal rules the
Republican party today, except in the
silver regions where their numbers
and influence are utterly insignificant.
as opposed to the sentiments of the
great body of the Republican party
That there is no hope for silver in
the Republican party has been dis
covered and proclaimed by frank Re
publican friends of silver, like Senators
and Jones, but the handful
of Republicans in the west who favor
free coinage, merely for deceptive par
ty purposes hold out hopes to their
deluded followers which they know
are groundless, and at the same time
make the attack upon the Democratic
party which we have exposed.
Truly is the Republican party "a par
ty of expediency, impudence, false
hood and fraud, as we'll as of anti-sil-
yer prejudices and policies. No true
silver men can support it and be con
SiStent