The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-06-22


Whitney today made public a state
ment in which he defines the political
situation. makes his position clear as
regards his decision to remain in this
country instead of going TO Europe.
and concludes by saying that he is not
a presidential possibility; that he
would not run if nominated and would
not serve if elected"
THE FULL TEXT
The full text of the statement is as
follows:
Il find it necessary to make public
statement embodying my views on the
situation, to correct misconceptions
and save time cow occupied in answer
ing questions Far too much Importance
has been attached TO my decision tc
go to Chicago.
'I have been practically out Of poll
tics for four years, and as there are
now many eastern Democrats who can
do much more than 1 can for the party.
/ shall not assume any position Of lead
ership. Ny decision to stay was sim
ply based on the duty of every person
who believes in the party and for its
principles, to stay by and lend his aid
and take his chances when the great
CRISIS is UPON THE PARTY.
Fundamental differences of principle
exist inside the party, marked almost
3 by sectionaHsn.
THE great question to my mind is
whether the party meets in convention
now. as in 1860. with issues and diff
ferences that are for the moment IT.
raconcilable For the past fifteen years
Of Yor1h1io rpfuicr1 in 10 Sn11th
and west have been advocating as the
great remedy for existing ills the free
coinage of silver at 10 TO l. with or
without the cooperation of other ma
lions.
1T has come to be believed in by these
people quite generally and conscien-
tiously A large majority of the dele
gates to the coming Democratic con-
ventlon have been elected by the peO-
pie. for the purpose of incorporating
that doctrine into the platform of the
Democratic party.
Our people, OF the other hand, en-
tirely disagree with these views and
believe almost universally that it will
| bring general ruin to the
BUSINESS AND PROSPERITY
of the country. 1t is deemed a new
doctrine when proposed to be incor-
porated into the platform of the ma
tional Democracy. 1t is true that in
no previous platform of the party can
it specifically be found. Consequently
no party obligations heretofore as
summed oblige them to subscribe to
it. Under these circumstances, if the
results of the Democratic convention
should be to establish as an is
sue of their campaign the frel
coinage of silver at ratio
of 16 to 1. independent of other
likely to arise, it is 10 be seriously ap-
, pretended that a disruption Of the
party might occur. Certainly no sub
stantial following could be secured for
the doctrine among eastern Demo-
Gratis. They might not vote the Re
publican ticket for other reasons (be-
lieving that the Republican party
stands for other issues that are detri-
mental to the country, but the Demo-
Gratis in the east would not, in my opin-
ion. vote for it.
This movement for free coinage pur-
ports to have for its object the estab-
lishment and maintenance of gold and
silver as the money of the country
upon
EQUAL TERMS WITH EACH
OTHER
and at parity Of purchasing power.
If by the proposed measure that OBJ
ject could be secured there would be
no substantial disagreement in the
, party. Every national Democratic
platform that has heretofore spoken
upon the subject has declared for both
gold and silver money. 1t is our ira
t ditional policy. But the maintenance
f of the double standard at the present
: time is not question of desire; it is a
:, question of ability. The commercial
value of silver has declined greatly il
the markets of the world.
Whatever the causes are and who
ever is to blame, the fact is that silvel
: has declined. and free coinage now a
Is to is the same as our offering for
all the silver in the world about twice
: what it is selling for in the market
: : INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES
= have TO be paid in gold. and it woult
seem plain that if we, under these con
ditions open our mints to the fTe
: coinage of silver and gold at a ratio o
comparative value which is largely a
variance with the commercial valu
f of the two metals, we must take tn
entire silver surplus ourselves, main
s tain it's parity with gold, or else "
shall go TO a silver basis.
|. France in 1873 closed her mint
: against silver and abandoned this ez
n pertinent, deeming herself unequal I
n the task alone and at that time it wa
IS much less difficult, for silver was the
IS at par with gold, at the ratio in us
t. and even Ergland's minis in Indi
e were open to the free coinage of silve
/ If the experiment of maintaining th
n parity of the two metals at a coinas
standard was difficult then, it woul