The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-09-23

General Palmer were given with a
will, ard the band played Hail to the
Chief"
General Palmer put himself on a
good footing with his audience by a few
happy Off-hand remarks. These were
vigorously applauded. Then he took
his manuscript and read the speech.
General Palmer said:
L am here this evening IN the atti-
tude of g. candidate for the presidency
Of the United States. Less than
month ago 1 expected this appearance
as little as any one of my audience.
On the 3rd of September the convention
OF National Democrats, representing
forty-one states, assembled in Indianap-
Oils and nonored me by presenting my
name for the consideration of the peo-
pie of the United States as a candidate
or the chief magistracy of this repllb-
lie. | do not know, nor do L believe,
that single delegate to that conven-
ton expected that L could be or would
he
ELECTED TO THE PRESIDENCY. y
In fact, in the preface to the declara-
ton of principles adopted by the con-
vention it did not assert such an ex-
pectation.
The convention was composed of
stern, resolute men. They were the
Democrats of 1892, who contributed tn 7ir
efforts to the election of that honest,
manly Democratic president OF whom the
convention said: The fidelity, patriot-
ism and courage with which President
Cleveland has fulfilled his great public
trust, the high character of his admin
1stration, its wisdom and energy in
the maintenance of civil order and the
enforcement of law, its equal regard
for the rights of every class and every
section, it's firm and dignified conduct
OF foreign affairs and its sturdy per
sistence in upholding the credit and
honor of the nation, are fully recognized
by the Democratic party and will secure
to him place in history beside the
fathers of the republic. We also COM
mend the administration for the great
progress made in the reform of the pub
lie service and we demand that no
backward step be taken, but that the
reform be supported and advanced I'M
til the undemocratic in its system OF
appointments shall be eradicated.'
After paying this Just and well de-
served tribute to Mr.: Cleveland, the con-
venton further said in its assertion of
party principles: The Democratic party
IS pledged to equal and exact justice to
all men of every creed and condition; to
the largest freedom of the individual,
consistent with good government; to the
preservation of the federal government
IN Its constitutional vigor, and to the sup
port of the states in all their just rights;
to economic and public expenditures; to
the maintenance of the public credit and
sound money, and it is opposed to pater
nalism and all class legislation
This declaration embodieS the Democ-
racy of Jefferson and Jackson and Cleve-
land.
The delegates to the Indianapolis con-
vent1on, as have said, were Democrats
not Republicans or PopuliSts. (Applause.)
Before the assemblage of the Chicago
convention, they desired and hoped for
the unity of this great and historic party,
and they would have
MADE ANY ORDINARY SACRIFICE
in order to maintain that unity. But
when they saw the work of that conven-
ton. they had no further hope, and felt
constrained to announce to the country
That the declarations Of the Chicago
convention attacked individual freedom,
the right Of private contract, the indie
pendence OF the judiciary, and the au-
thority of the president to enforce federal /
laws. They advocate a reckless attempt
to increase the price of silver by legisla-
ton to the debasement of our monetary
standard, and threaten unlimited issues
of paper money by the government They
abandon for Republican allies the Demo-
cratic cause of tariff reform to court the
favor protectionists. In view of their
fiscal heresy and other grave departures
from Democratic principles, we cannot
support the candidates of that conven- |
ton nor be bound by it's acts. The Demo-
cratic party has survived many defeats |
but could not survive a victory won in
behalf of the doctrine and policy pro-
claimed in its name at Chicago
1T will be seen that the convention was
not composed of Democrats who would |
first vote the ticket and then read the |
platform Nor was it composed of that
PARTICULAR TYPE OF DEMOCRAT
who seemed to flourish with SO much |
vigor in this noble state of New York. 1t I
would not be possible for any delegate to |
that convention to vote for the candidates /
nominated in Chicago and reject the /
platform as unSound and dangerous 1t, |
therefore, spoke in no uncertain terms in
condemnation of the platform adopted by !
the conventions in Chicago and St. Louis |
1.-The Chicago convention was regularly |
called. and if it had adhered to the faith, |
the organization which l represent would |
have been entirely unnecessary. Indeed, !
thousands of Democrats today have such |
respect for orderly and regular organiza-
ton that they feel amoSt constrained to I
submit to authority That some Demo- /
Gratis should doubt the policy of resistance /
to the action of the Chicago convention, /
is but natural That convention assem-
bled, claiming to be a regular Democratic /
convention, and thousands of us who re-
sist it's action do so only because 1t was
perfectly false to Democratic principles. |
No Democrat can object to the cOndem- |
nation of the Chicago platform of arbi
trary interference by federal authority in (
local affairs. So much is the weil-under-
stood Democratic theory of the proper !
the general government. But the real /
meaning is we'll understood to have been /
intended as an endorsement of the gov /
ernor of Illinois (hisses), and condem- !
nation of the president for acts which +
were unanimously approved by the senate .
of the United States and were in strict /
conformity with his duty as the chief 4
magistrate of the republic
That part of the platform which re- /
fers to the money question attracts the
largest measure of popular attention, and
it is TO that clause of the Chicago plat |
form and the corresponding clause of the |
platform adopted by the indianapolis con- !
vention thai l propose to direct attention |
briefly.
Il repeat the statement that the Indian
apolis convention, in general terms as !
serted the true relation of the Demo-
cratic party to the interests of this great
country The Chicago platform declares
and recognizes that the money question
is paramount to all others at this time
The
FREE COINAGE OF SILVER
as interpreted by Mr. Bryan, means the
advance in commercial value of all the
silver, bullion and coin, and indeed all
commercial silver, to equality in COM
mercial value with gold.
The real question then is can the
American people by a law authorizing the
unlimited coinage of silver dollars on
private account at the ratio of 16 of silver
to l of gold, with full legal tender quality
make the silver coinage OF the world of
equal acceptability and value, and of
equal power in the markets and in the
payment of debts with all the gold coined
the world? This statement of the
question is made in unusual FORM but
neither its truth nor its exactness will be
questioned by any thoughtful man, after
he has fully considered the rapid methods