The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-04-02
REPUBLIcANIsM AND SILVER.

| the remarks said to have been made
! by Governor Mckinley upon the cues
ton of free silver. The minority OF
his party, who favor the restoration OF
/ silver as money, are very anxious tc
remove the impression that his state.
ment has made. But the majority OF
Republicans, who are opposed to the
free coinage Of the white metal, ap.
plaud him and are glad that he is for
what they call Sound money!,
Governor Mckinley was quoted as
saying that he would not run for the
Presidency on a free coinage platform
Various denials or explanations have
been given to suit the emergencies OF
Republicanism in different parts of the
country.
A Republican paper which advocates
free silver, attempts to help Mckinley
and the party out of this hole, by say
ing that Governor Mckinley believes
IN bimetallism." But that is a con-
venient term by which the most vigor-
Gus opponents of free coinage endeavor
TO carry water on both shoulders. dis
| playing gold 70 one part of the coun-
try and silver to another. And the sill
yer paper referred TO goes on to ex-
plain the kind of bimetallism in which
Mckinley believes. in this fashion:
He has since explained that he meant
by this that he is not in favor of free
| coinage, and that he does not believe
that any number of Republicans are
IN favor Of free coinage, and that he
could not concientiously stand upon
such a platform as a candidate for
once. He rs bimetallist and ready
to accept a double standard as soon
as an international agreement makes
1t safe for our government to adopt
that policy. He is surprised that his
sentiments on this subject should be
a matter of comment or curiosity.
That is enough for any silver man,
Republican or Democrat. That can
| didate for the presidency in rivalry
with Reed and Harrison, does not be-
lieve in free silver coinage. OF course
not. He is an out and out high tariff
Republican. He is right in expressing
his belief as to the attitude of his
party on the question. Very few OF
them favor free coinage. The tidal
wave of last falls elections is inter
preted by the Republican party, to
be a popular expression against free
coinage. 1t is no use. for western Re
publicans to pretend that their party
is a silver party. McKinley's frank
statement settles that in the negative.
Harrison stands just where McKin-
ley poses as to silver. Whatever may
be agreed upon by the European pow
ers they are both willing to subscribe
to, nothing more. Reed really is on
the same plane as to silver, but he is
too polite TO say much about it Just
now. Silver and protection" means
with him international bimetallism
and high tariff. IAN enlarged use of
silver" at a ratio with gold that the
European powers may agree upon.
And as high a tariff as the American
people can be made to bear.
1t may be said that on the silver
question Cleveland occupies similar
ground. That is probably very nearly
correct. But Cleveland does not rep
resent the great body Of the Democracy
on that question. And he is not a
candidate for reelection. All of the
Republican triumvirate we have named
are in training for the presidency.
And they have the support of the ma
jority of their party in their views as
to silver. That's different
As we have many times declared,
the people Of the west and south and
those Of the east who are with them
on the silver question, will have to
rally round the standard of Democracy
If they expect 10 gain victory for sill
yer in 1896. The Democratic party
will have to take solid silver ground
with no shrinking or shutting. The
free and unlimited coinage of silver
and gold at the ratio Of 16 to 1 without
waiting for foreign action. In that
silver sign will it conquer. Without it
there will be for the party no success.