The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-01-28
THE CHRONICLE AND SILVER.


Populists aided by the National BIZ
metallic Union to put candidates in The
field for President and vice-President,
the Chicago Chronicle says;
This is an opportunity for all per
sons who desire to bring about the I'M
limited coinage of silver. There are
Republicans who think. that there
should be free coinage. There are
Democrats like minded. Both may
properly leave the party OF their
choice hitherto for the purpose Of join
ing the party Of their conviction.
1t is far more likely that the little
leaven Of silverism in the Republican
party will leaven the whole lump than
1t is that advocates of free coinage
shall dominate the Democratic party.
That party is historically sound on the
money question. The President chosen
by that party has been the bulwark
of national credit.
If Democracy were to express itself
through it's authorized convention as a
proponent of an unsound currency the
party would cease to exist.
1t is evident from the tone of the
above that the Chronicle is of opinion
that the Republican party has more
to lose from the withdrawal OF silver
advocates than the Democratic party
has
Never was a journal more mistaken.
Let but the friends of silver withdraw
from the Democratic party and there
would be such a majority that they
would be able to pronounce the gold
men the heretics. We take direct is
sue with the Chronicle; it is not more
likely that the little leaven of silver
ism in the RepL blican party will leaven
the whole lump than it is that the adj
vocates of free coinage shall dominate
the Democratic party. If the friends
of silver within the Democratic party
do not dominate the party convention
at Chicago in July it will be because
the friends of silver do not assert
themselves. and to fail in that will be
to fail of their duty to the party and
to the country
The Democratic party as historically
sound on the money question" says
the Chronicle. That is true, but not
in the sense that the Chronicle would
have it understood Until the present
administration went over body and
soul to the single gold standard in
terests the Democratic party stood for
sound money-for the sound money of
the constitution-for both silver and
gold and currency redeemable in
either metal. And even now that the
administration has gone over to the
gold interests it has never been able
to carry the party's representatives in
congress with it. but has appealed to
and relied upon Republican aid to as
sist it in carrying out its financial
measures.
''If the Democracy" continues the
Chronicle, were to express itself
through its authorized convention as
q proponent of an unsound currency
the party would cease to exist" An
unsound currency from the stand
roint of the Chronicle would be a
currency based upon both gold and
silver-recognizing the two metals
named as money, real money, a legal
tender in all cases and to any amount
and free. coinage of both. Instead of
being a cause of death to the party, it
would be to it a new lease of life, a
renewal Of all its youthful vigor. 1t
would be a guarantee of its immor-
tally, so far as anything of this earth
can be guaranteed immortality.
The Democratic party will not die
while the Republic lives. While that
survives. the Democratic party sur
wives; and when the Democratic party
dies, then, too dies the Republic. The
! life Of the one is so interviewer with
that of the other that they cannot be
rent asunder without destroying both.
! The principles on which the Republic
! is founded are so far identical with
those of the Democratic party that
they must stand or fall together To
! have a Democratic journal talk Of the
Democratic party ceasing to exist, is
to have an evidence that the faith Of
that journal in Democracy is not very
strong.
Let that journal note that there will
be a crisis on the question of finance
IN the Chicago convention. All half
way measures should be abandoned;
let the determination to settle the
money question, be unwavering. The
days of compromises are over; let the
people know where the parties stand.
If necessary to get a pronounced
declaration from the Democrat tic party
let the friends Of silver go prepared
to act Independent of the gold stand
ard men in the Democratic ranks.
Split the party. if necessity compels,
but keep whole and entire the Demo-
o-a+;o f.;+h