The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-04-01
THE PARAMOUNT ISSUE.


L. is in vain to cry peace. peace. when
there is no peace, but all is war. war.
So it is useless to cry tariff is the po-
litical issue. when everybody knows
that finance is the issue With the ex-
| ception Of a few papers in each party
! in the east, thar are troubled with
| tariff lunacy. the entire press of the
country is discussing finance, not tar
if; free coinage, not protection or free
trade. It enters into the discussion of
all political conventions and threatens
10 split all parties, except perhaps the
| Republican. party.
Even tie Prohibition party is likely
to have its unity broken by this finan-
! cial question. Il am sorry that it is
true" says Ex-Governor John p. St.
John of Kansas, but it is a fact that
the Prohibition party. like each of the
old parties, is divided. 1t is divided on
the question of finance, just as the old
parties are. An effort is to be made
at the Pittsburg convention, and is now
being made in the various states, to
! commit the party to the single gold
standard policy. Should this succeed,
it will cost the party not less than
100000 votes. The party has 100000
votes in the United States, and l mean
what 1 say in asserting that a plat
form committing the Prohibition party
to a single gold standard will lose it
100000 votes.
If the platform comes out squarely
for free silver at a fixed ratio, the
party will gain two votes for every one
it will lose by the other policy. not
only in the west, but also in the middle
and the New England states.
The people of the nation are being
robbed by the money power, and finan-
cial ruin is sure. unless the power be-
ing now welded by the British bond
holders, the Rothschilds, the Morgans
and the Belmonts is broken. 1 will
never cast my vote TO perpetuace that
power. 1 have just one purpose
in view now, and that is to do what l
can TO better the condition of my fell
low men. And just at this particular
juncture one of the most important
things is 40 life the burden from the
shoulders of the masses. which is being
made heavier every day by the money
power. L want To see silver restored
to the place it Occupied prior to 1873, as
[ belisve that viii do as much as any
one thing towards relieving the people
of their present distress.
Il am an American citizen and
want to have conditions brought about
which will be for the welfare of our
own peOple, and ont for the benefit of
foreign syndicates' We have thought.
and still think. that this ex-governor
of Kansas was off somewhat on the
question of prohibition; but there can
be no doubt as to his Observation-Disclosures
on the subject of finance.
But our purpose in quoting this
leader of the Prohibition party was to
emphasize the fact that the question
of finance is the paramount Issue be-
fore tie country in the campaign of
1896. 1t is discussed in all sections of
the country; it is the important plank
of all platforms; it confronts and
threatens TO divide all parties; it is the
one theme of all others that concerns
all presidential candidates. Like Ban
quo's ghost, it refuses to down at the
bidding of those who fain would fight
on other lines; and those who seek TO
ignore it as the issue, it will push from
their stools; while it will scar the eye
balls of those who trifie with it, and at
the last show them that they hold
barren sceptre in their hands.
The money question is the issue and
it mus. not be denied, 1t cannot be
lodged, it should not he straddled; and
let candidates or PARTIES do what they
will. the people will not allow triffing
with It.