The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-11-11
LETTER FROM BARTINE.
HE DECLARES THAT BIMETAI,IISTS
ARE NOT DISCOURAGED.
Reasons That Contributed to the
Success of McFxiRley-The Vote of
Worlsingmen Controlled by Fear
of Factories Being Closed Down.

Hon. r. c. Chambers has received
the following interesting letter from
Hon. H. F. Bartine, editor of the Ma
iional Bimetallist:
Chicago, ILL.,, Nov. 8, 1896.
My Dear Mr.. Chambers:
Our calculations failed and McKin-
ley is elected. 1t is not, though, in any
sense a landslide" Thirty thousand
more votes our way in Indiana, Ken
lucky, California, Oregon and the Da-
kotas would have elected Mr.. Bryan.
In fact, Mckinley had a close call. L
attach no Importance to his large vote
in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsyl-
vania and Illinois, which accounts for
his immense majority in the popular
vote. In the great cities of those states
the wage-worllerS were voted in solid
blocks by their employers. They were
told in so many words that if McKin-
ley were elected they would have
work; II not, it was altogether uncer-
tain. Few men working for wages have
the strength and independence to re-
sist such an argument CD as that. In
Ohio, Michigan and Minnesota it will
be found that it was the employees of
the great industrial plants, mainly in
the large cities, who turned the scale
against US. The vote of the farmers,
While not what we had reason to ex-
pect, was at least healthy and honest
When we consider the odds against
US, while disappointed, of course, we
still have reason to be proud of the
contest which we made. With the
great money power" solid for McKin-
ley, controlling as it did the press, the
manufacturing and commercial classes
and through them millions of votes
the fact that Mckinley so narrowly
escaped defeat is nothing less than
marvellous. The detection of the gold
Democrats, insignificant a ; it appeared,
was alone enough 10 defeat us. In
some of the close states their votes
would have changed the result, and in
all the moral effect of their revolt was
very great. 1t entirely accounts for
the abnormal majorities in some of
the states, for the most of them, or at
least many of them, were large en-
ployerS of labor. Their money and
their personal influence were with
drawn from our side and thrown to
the other.
But, Notwithstanding the defeat,
have vet to see the silver man who is
discouraged. Here they are more de-
termined than ever. They know that
in the last analysis it was lack of edu-
cation among the wage-workers and
farmers that defeated them. To edu-
cate 100000 of people upon such
question is no small undertaking.
the masses are concerned was accom-
plished within the last six or eight
months. There had been a scattering
fire kept up for years. and an organ
lied systematic effort at this point for
about IA months. but it was only after
political lines were squarely drawn
upon the issue that the work could
be made really effective.
The desire here is very strong to
continue the work
The danger is in letting the people
forget the silver issue, and two years
and four months hence, having to be-
gin again with the A G of the finan-
cial question. Permanent prosperity
under the gold standard is impossible.
There may be little squirt (probably
there will be-, based upon artificially
revived confidence" but it cannot
last, and when the reaction comes,
we should be in a position to offer
genuine bimetallism as a sure road to
permanent relief But if we entirely
abandon the field now, this will be
difficult, for the most of people have
short memories.
1 congratulate you most heartily upon
your success.
With kindest regards remain, most
sincerely yours,
H. F. BARTINE.