The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-08-17
sILyER's ONLY HoPE-DEMooRAcY


How stands the silver fight? That
is the question of chief interest to the
masses of the American people. Gold
recommendation, brought about by a
Republican Congress and president, has
mad more than twenty years of uninter-
rupted sway in the country and what
is the result? Pestilence and war, as
was predicted by Mr.. Carlisle, could
scarcely have produced more serious
consequences. The multiplication of
trusts and tramps, of millionaires and
paupers; the destruction of values and
| the consequent augmentation of indebt-
edness; the most humiliating specta-
| Gle of this the greatest civilized nation
| on earth being compelled to seek the
influence of syndicate of bankers, ON
most shameful terms, in order to main
tain its credit-these are some of the
currency which has subordinated the
interests of the masses to the greed of
the monied men. Certainly there has
been nothing in our recent history that
justifies the contention of the goldbugs
that safety will be found in gold mono
metallism alone.
What will the great national parties
do, what have they done for silver?
There is no Republican so blind to the
history and sentiment of his party as
to entertain for a moment the hope
that silver will be indicated by that
party. Certainly the record of the par
ty justifies no such hope. And with
equal certainty it may be put down
that there is nothing in the tendencies
of that party that will produce such a
state of mental indigestion as to cause
even an iridescent dream that silver
has any hope within the party of Reed,
Mckinley, Harrison, Sherman, Morton,
etc.
In seeking the goal of bimetallism he
who strays aside and enters into the
gateway of Republicanism certainly
leaves all hope behind. And why? The
record shows it and reason establishes
it. The grand old party, so called, lis
the party of the classes as against the
masses; it has ever opposed the Jeffer-
sonian maxim, Equal and exact justice
TO all, special privileges to none" with
its tariff and bounty laws, the moving
sentiment for which has been, Take
care of the capitalists, let the poor hus-
tie for themselves. This being incon-
trovertible, it follows as night the day
that in a contest between the people,
who are for silver, and the banking
syndicate. who are for gold, that the
old parties will array themselves along
their historic lines with Democracy for
the people and Republicanism for the
favored few. 1t is because the former
party is the historic defender of popu
lar rights that it has lasted from the
inception Of the government. and it is
for this reason that it has buried and
will continue to outlive all other parties
whose sympathies are less comprehen-
sive than the whole people, or which
stand for class rule or class favor as
against a stable government founded
on the liberties and material interests
of the masses of the people. The propo
sition that any class of the people is
entitled to special civil or financial
privileges in a free government leads
to an aristocracy of civil
powers and of wealth and will not
stand the test of time in popular
government even on the specious plea
that the public veal is promoted indi-
rectly by such favoritism.
Congressional votes as we'll as indi-
vidual opinions indicate that the only
hope for silver, so far as the two great
national parties are concerned, and
there is no other party that has any
axpecta ton of succeeding nationally. !
is found in the Democratic party.
The latest indication that this is the |
case is found in the proceedings of the |
Democratic silver leaders at Washing !
ton. The convention at Memphis, in !
which Democrats were chiefly promi-
nent, the Illinois state convention, the /
Texas convention. the Missouri conven-
ton and now the Democratic conven-
ton at Washington form a series of |
events, which, considered with the fact
that no such movement has anywhere
manifested itself in the Republican
ranks. proves conclusively that silver's
only hope IS with the Democratic party
This convention at Washington is
'uspicious for good. It's results will be
Tery closely watched by an eager public
Irrespective of political preferences. It
s certainly the most important move
nent yet inaugurated for silver. It is
not unreasonable to assume in view of
he distinguished Democrats who were
present that this movement will result
n the putting of a free coinage plank
n the national platform next year
With such a result accomplished the
rehabilitation of silver may be regarded
Is a probable fact.
WHO WILL. WIN IN 1896: