The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-06-15

All interest in the Republican ma
tional convention centers around the
declaration TO be made on the financial
question. That it will be for the gold
standard there can pc little or no ques-
ton, for the convention is overwhelm-
ingly for gold The interest, therefore,
is in the terms in which the financial
plank will be couched. If language
was given to man to conceal his
thoughts, the gift has been brought to
perfection in the framing of political
platforms. In what language will the
financial plank of the Republican plat
form be framed? There are indications
that Mr.. Mckinley, who in all proba-
bility will be the party nominated for
president, would like to avoid an out
and-out declaration on the money ques-
ton, but would favor something that
could be made to bear a double inter
probation if need be. If he were a
strong man he would insist that there
should be no declaration that could by
any means be made to resemble a
straddle.
The dispatches say that overtures
have been received from the east to
make Senator Lodge the chairman OF
the committee on resolutions, while the
Mckinley men want Senator-elect For
aker for that position. This means
a contest between those who favor the
Massachusetts financial plank and
those who favor the Ohio plank. With
the gold sentiment so strong in the
convention it is not at all likely that
it will allow the Mckinley managers
to dictate a weak gold plank, but that
it will insist upon the strongest one
possible.
The demand of the east for Lodge for
chairman of the committee ON resolu-
tions is a demand for the Massa-
chusetts financial plank. That plank is
in these words
We regard the silver agitation to be
hurtfuI to business and destructive OF
confidence, and. aus has recently been
shown hostile to all tariff legislation
designed to give protection to our in
dustrieS and revenue to our treasury.
We ARE entirely opposed to the free
and unlimited coinage of silver, and to
amy change in the existing gold stan
dard, except by International agree
ment Each dollar must be kept as
good as any other dollar. The credit
of the United States must be main
tanned at the highest point, so that 1t
can not be questioned anywhere, either
at home or abroad. Every promise must
be rigidly kept and every obligation re-
deemable in coin must be paid i'm gold.
We are opposed to the unsound and
dangerous system of state banks. We
support the national banking system,
and believe that it should be SO
amended as to give it room for expan-
sion and opportunity to meet the de-
mands of the growing business and
population of the country.
The Ohio financial plank is weak,
namby- PANTY affair, just such a
or any convictions on the money ques-
ton would make; in fact it is said to
have been written by Mckinley him
self 1t is as follows:
We contend for honest money, a cur
rency of gold, silver and paper, with
which to measure our exchange, that
shall be as sound as the government
itself and as untarniShed as its honor,
and to that end we favor birnetallism,
and demand the use of both gold and
silver as a standard money. either in
accordance with a ratio TO be fixed by
an international agreement, if that can
be obtained. or Under such restrictions
and such provisions to be determined
by legislation as will secure the main
tenance of the PARTIES of values of the
two metals so that the purchasing and
dsbt-paying. power of the dollar
whether of silver, gold or paper, shall
at all times be equal.
There is considerable talk that the
Indiana plank will be adopted 1t skill
fully avoids any direct reference to the
gold standard. 1t reads;
We are firm and emphatic in our de-
mand for honest money. We believe
that our money should not be inferior
to the money of the most enlightened
nations CT the earth. We are unalter-
ably opposed to any scheme that
threatens to debase or deDreciate our
currency. We favor the use of SILVER as
a currency, but to the extent only and
under such regulations that its parity
with gold can be maintained, and. in
consequence. are opposed to the free
and unlimited and independent coin
age of silver at a ratio of 16 to l.
Whatever plank is adopted. every sill
yer man knows that it will be for gold
and against the free coinage of silver.