The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-02-24
IS TT RULE OR RUNE

That Mr.. Cleveland is very hostile
to silver is known to all who take any
interest in American politics. That he
has used the power and patronage of
his high Office to enforce his views on
the financial question is believed by
many. 1t is also believed by many that
he viii not hesitate to use all the pow
er and influence of the administration
TO force the Democratic national con-
vention to put his financial views in
the platform to be put forth by it. If
such be his determination he can I'M
doubtedly WELD an influence that it
will be extremely difficult to overcome,
for the great majority of men will
rally to the powers that be rather than
strike out in new paths for themselves
though they know that such paths
will lead to far better conditions for
themselves. That the gold standard
element of the Democratic party will
put forth ali the effort it is capable of
to control the financial policy of the
party is also certain. 1t is no less GER
tain that the silver wing of the party,
those who favor free silver as well as
free gold, will put forth their might
est effort to control the party's finan-
cial policy. Which will triumph can
not at this time be foretold.
The silver element of the party has
been accused of many designs, each
one horrible, Lectures without num-
Der on the duty of Democrats to their
party; how the majority must rule
else all would be chaos, have been
read to them. All this has been in the
assumption that the silver advocates
are in a hopeless minority in the
party. The assumption is not war
ranted by any means. The gold stand
ard element seems never to have con-
templated the possibility of majority
Of the delegates to the Chicago con-
vention being for free coinage. If that
convention declares unequivocally for
the free coinage of silver and places in
nomination a free coinage man, a man
who will do what he can to bring
about the free coinage of silver, a man
whose professions will come from the
heart and not merely from the
lips, will the gold men support him.
work for him with heart and soul?
Or will it be found that they do not
give that loyalty to party which
they demand of the silver men?
Have they ever considered this side of
the question? Do these gold men in the
party propose to rule or ruin? There
are very strong indications that they
do. What a spectacle do the five anti
Blackburn Democrats in the Kentucky
legislature present to the party
throughout the country! 1t is within
their power to put a Democrat in the
United States senate, yet they steadily
refuse to do so. 1t is the opinion of the
Democracy Of the west at least, and we
believe Of the whole country, that they
are simply doing the will and carry
ing out the wishes of Grover Cleveland
and John G. Carlisle. It is within the
power Of these two men to make or
break the Democratic party in Ken
lucky, and they seem determined to
break it. If they will do this in Ken
lucky, can anyone hesitate to believe
that they will attempt it in Chicago?
The Chicago convention will be one
of the most important events in the
history of the Democratic party; it is
not improbable that crisis will there
be reached. This we believe to be GER
tain: that the Democrats of the west
and south will not permit themselves
to be dominated by the gold interest,
simply cloaking itself in the garb of
Democracy for the accomplishment of
that purpose. Neither will it be al
lowed 20 rule or ruin the Democratic
party.