The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-02-22
IT WILL BE REVOLUTION.

The character of the Democracy
which Senator Tillman, of South Caro-
lima, represents is shown by his asser-
ton that. if the national convention
refuses to make concessions to silver,
the South Carolina delegation will
withdraw and act with the indepen-
dent silver party, which proposes to
put up a candidate of its own. If Till
man stands by this declaration, neil
Their he nor the delegation which he
says he will control have any right to
seat in Democratic convention
Delegates to a national convention are
in honor bound to accept the action
of the convention as final and to sup
port its nominees. The majority rules,
and If this We're not the case, it would
be absurd to hold a convention.
The above is from the Baltimore Sun.
Under ordinary circumstances the Sun
is right. Majorities in party conven-
tons should rule And if majorities
are not to rule it is absurd to hold
conventions. Under ordinary circum-
stances men should submit to constitu-
ted authority. and obey it's mandates.
That is the rula; and if men do not
account themselves under obligations
to submit to that authority we might
as well abolish government. But it is
conceivable. nay, it is a fact often
proved by mans experience, that gov
ernments can become so tyrannous that
their oppression becomes uncomfortable.
They destroy the happiness, liberty
and peace they were founded to secure,
and under those circumstances to sub
nit to their oppression is the conduct
of ignoble and slavish men. Under
such circumstances it becomes the duty
Of men to petition, to demand a recog-
milton of their rights and if their pc
titions and demands are not respected
and for the future guaranteed, the
right Of revolution, the right to over
throw that government and institute
new government, laying its founda-
tons on such principles, and organic
ing its powers in such forms as to
them shall seem most likely to effect
their safety and happiness-is unde-
niable
What is true of government is true
of parties. Parties are as capable of
going wrong as governments. Thk
rule of the majority can be as tyran-
nous as the administration Of a king
For years now the money power has
exerted a disproportioned influence in
national administrations and even in
party management. High sound
ing phraseology has been inject
ed into party platforms to which double
meanings have been ascribed and
the seeming word of promise has been
held to the lips only to be broken to
the hope. The people are weary of
this Juggling with phra seology, with
words which mean something or moth
ing according as they are read and ex-
planned by men simple enough to as
cribe plain meaning to words. or by
men skilled in that damnable art
that uses words but to conceal
thoughts. A very large number of peo-
pie, especially in the west and the
south and in the Ohio and Mississip-
pi valleys, have felt that their interests
have too often been betrayed by their
political partners; that the money is
sue has been trif1ed with too long; and
in the Democratic party there is a
determination growing to submit to
that kind of treatment no longer. They
have reached that point when revolu-
ton is justif1able- They will never
pretend that to go to a party conven-
ton determined to carry their point
or bolt the convention is good party
morality under ordinary circumstance
es. 1t is revolution. that is admitted.
The only question about it is, is it
justifable revolution? In the opinion
of those who invoke it it will be- and
they will throw themselves upon the
country for a verdict.
Democrats will go to that convention
to plead for the rights of their peo-
pie SO long trifled with in party con-
vention. They will get a just recogni-
ton of those rights if they can, Fail
ing in that they will doubtless revolt
and raise the true standard of Dem
ocracy and call upon the people to sus-
tain it. But they will certainly not
be weak enough to seek a milder name
for such conduct than revolution
That is what it is and no one need try
to disguise it. That is what we mean,
friends of the east. the sentiment in
the party is growing for it, and it will
be well for the single gold standard
Democrats to conclude between now
and the converting of the national con-
vention If they can afford to have the
revolution take place.