The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-10-25

solutely necessary to the future welfare
OF the people that this government
adopt such policy. and they intend
to vote for the Democratic candidate
for president because he is free COIN
age man and is running on free
coinage platform.
Having gone this far in response TO
the promptings of duty, many OF this
class OF men hesitate about what
further change, if any, they should
make in support of the cause in the
interest of which they are enlisted.
Some Republicans have already taken
the ground that they will support the
Democratic ticket throughout in order
to assist in building up strong parry
to support a free coinage president
but others cling to the thought that
it may not be necessary for them TO
go so far. The party pride of the
latter class is appealed to insidiously
other, desire to retain Republican su-
premacy in the state. They are told
that they can aid free coinage just as
effectively by voting for Republican
candidates for congress, for the legis-
lature and for local officers, combining
their revolt to the head of the ticket.
They realize that there is something
inconsistent about the proposition, but
it aecords with their lingering feeling
of party loyalty and is influential in
keeping many temporarily in the Re
publican ranks.
1t is fortunate, however, for the
cause of bimetallism that this is not
the first time in the history of the
country when a great issue has made
it necessary for men to change their
party allegiance, the history of the
very recent past furnishing an example
that will not be lost upon any man
who really desires to contribute the
most that he is capable of toward the
success of the free coinage move
ment.
The Herold would ask those who are
urging men to remain in the Repub-
lican party while repudiating the most
important plank of the platform and
voting against its presidential candi-
date, What would have been the re-
suit if such advice had been followed
in the days of Lincoln? There were
multitudes of men. who had always
been Democrats but who felt obliged,
because of the supreme Importance of
the issue involved, to support Lincoln.
Did they stop with support of the presi-
Dental candidate? Not by any means.
What would have been the result if
Lincoln had been given a Democratic
congress and if Democratic state and
county administrations had been elected
throughout the north on a platform
opposing Lincoln and his policy? No
man can answer further than this
lican success would have been a barren
victory and that the Union would have
been dissolved.
Men who think they can achieve
anything by electing president with
out giving him a triumphant party to
closely Nothing threatened the Union
cause more seriously than the adverse
state elections that occurred during
Lincolns term. When states voted
against the party of the president, the
latter was handicapped and his cause
imperilled and, when the people rallied,
their purpose was shown in a great
| tide of Republican victory.
The issue that is before the people
today is almost. as mportant-almost
as high, almost as holy-as that which
stirred them in 1860; and, if it is to be
decided in harmony with justice and
right, it is just as necessary to sup
port the party that has made the cause
its own. If the martyred Lincoln could
speak from the grave he would advise
the people-the loyal and true common
people-tflat they should support Bryan
and his party now in the name of JUS
tice and human rights, just as they
gave their support in 1860 to the Re
I publican party and its candidate.