The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-10-25
THE ISSUES OF THE DAY.
ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING AT DEMO.
CRATIC HEADQUARTERS
A Strong Address by waldemar Van
Cott-Judge Arnold shows why Re-
pubIicans should Vote the Demo-
cratic Ticket.


Hon. Waldemar Van Colt and Judge
w. S. Arnold, the latter a Republican,
expounded the present political issues
before an audience last night that
taxed the county Democratic head
quarters to its limit. Seldom has it
been the privilege to listen to a more
simple and yet forcible and logical ar
gument on the financial issues than that
of Mr.. Van Colt. while Judge Arnold
who for the first time in "a years ad-
dressed a political gathering, delivered
a speech full of vigor and patriotism.
Before the speakers arrived Miss
Ferguson created a great amount of
enthusiasm by reciting- Mark an X up
by the Rooster and Let it Go at That"
Mr.. Van Colt illustrated the effect of
the decentralization of silver by resort
ing to first principles. Money meas
ures the value of property. If, then,
one-half or portion of the money is
destroyed, property will fall CORE
spondingly. To illustrates: Suppose
hold in one hand a bushel of wheat and
in the other a silver dollar. Let us
say that that buShel of wheat, as in
1873, is worth 81. If by some act the
money in my hand is reduced one-half,
the wheat will only be worth so cents,
because that is all the money there is
to pay for it. In 1873 all property, la
Dor and products of the soil were
measured by the gold and silver in
circulation. To keep up with the in
crease in population the circulating
medium should have been increased at
a ratio to keep pace with the increase
in population. Instead silver was
stricken down; the remaining money of
the country appreciated in the same
degree that values of property de-
clined.''
The speaker then laid down the
proposition that the interests of the
majority were entitled to be fostered
by legislation. Can anyone say that
the money-lender is in the majority?"
the speaker continued rs it he who
represents but small class of our peo-
pie who shall dictate to the masses. or
are the people who, by the sweat of
their brow, have earned the money now
represented in the trusts and syndi-
Gates, entitled to be heard? The
moneyed interests are opposed to the
1emonetization of silver; the laborer.
the mechanic and the artisan are in
favor of it,
MIR. Van Colt then dwelt upon the
fact that all political parties agreed
that silver should be restored. the
only question was, can we do it alone?
In answer to this ne believed what
the country could do in 1875. when
small in population, but great in pa
triotism, it could do today, strong in
patriotism and population. The same
class that opposes financial independ-
ence today opposed independence 12O
years ago. Another reason why the
United States could restore silver and
maintain the parity with gold was that
this country maintained II for 81 years
and experienced no difficulty.
Concluding, Mr.. Van Colt said that
If by some act of legislation a man
could reduce property values in Salt
Lake county to one-half of their pres
ent worth, no punishment would be
considered too severe, and still when
the goldbugs by an act of legislation
struck the value of property down nv
reducing the circulati ting medium. nany
of the injured were beguiled into up
holding their act.
Judge Arnold opened by compliment
ing the women upon their privilege to
the franchise.
We are standing upon a dawn of
day weighted with great interest
he went on. Perhaps the questions
today are not fraught with the danger
surrounding those under consideration
by the hand of patriots in Independ
ence hall 120 years ago; perhaps they
are not fraught with the dangers that
surrounded many of us in 1860. hui
they are certainly as important. The
question is not protection to our in
duStries because thew ora ;5lo -,
there are none to protect The cues
ton is financial independence. take
up that most patriotic and sweetest
document ever promulgated. the
Declaration of Independence. and read
Its concluding paragraph that this ma
ton should have power to be free and
Independent, to establish comrnerca
and financial system of it's own. and
then ] think of the men who say we
must consult England about this issue
and | cannot help but wonder where 10
the patriotism of our people take I'm
the platforms of the two parties AMI
I read from that promulgated at ST
Louis: We are in favor of the
safest money. and therefore opposed
to the free coinage of silver without
international agreement I saw the
Declaration of INDEPENDENCE is lie
or the Republican platform is a grogs
on the truth I read fro,,,
that other platform of the people. we
are in favor of the free and unlimited
coinage of silver without the aid or
of any other nation and
wonder which of the two comes near
est to seeking a perpetuation of tha
ideas contained on that scroll. now
sacred. over which those men in In
dependence hail in 177e bent and dis