The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-03-31
UTAH DEMOCRACY AND SILVER.

Yesterday the Tribune devoted a long
article to the Utah Democracy and
Silver" It started out by saying it
thought it impossible. for anyone to
read, the statements of the Democrats
who gave their views to Senator White
Monday last without reaching the con-
clusion that the majority of them are
precisely what Judge Henderson, "as
reported" claimed to be-"a Democrat
first, and silver man afterward;"
that if there were any other slogan
that promised anything better than
silver. they would gladly drop silver
and adopt the other catchword, and
that ''if the national convention of
their party in 1900 is, as is probable,
controlled by the gold ring, all their
apostrophes to silver will suddenly
cease, and they would be Democrats
first and silver men-when the next
convention decided TO have them silver
men,
Judge Henderson made no such re-
mark 'as reported nor did he utter
any sentiment that could be construed
into such a remark. Judge Hender-
sons remarks elected the appreciation
of every man there who did not favor
fusion, and every man there was as
good q silver man as Senator White,
who favored fusion. That man is
Democrat and stands on the Chicago
platform, connotes the fact that he is
free silver man; the financial plank
being the chief one in the Chicago
platform it is the one grand test of
Democracy when one only is applied.
The Tribune says it seems to it that
under the circumstances it will be bet
ter for silver men who believe in silver
on principle to flock by themselves.
And yet it is denouncing the Dem
ocrats, who are the silver men par
excellence, for doing that very thing.
1t seems to the Tribune to be reason
ably clear that silver men, who hold
the silver cause as the paramount is
sue. cannot afford TO trust that cause
in the hands of a faction which stands
ready to betray it tomorrow at the
dictation of convention of their
party" When did the Democratic
party become a faction? And if the
Democratic party, in its national con-
vention. should abandon the cause of
silver, which all know it will not. what,
pray, would become of the silver
cause, for, according to the Tribune,
Tall Democrats would follow the die
tation of a convention of their party"
The Democrats of Utah are told by
the chief advocate of fusion in the
state that they stand ready to betray
silver tomorrow if a party convention
so bids them. Their self respect must
forbid them to think of fusing with any
who hold such opinions of them. Those
who make such slanderous accusations
themselves stand ready to commit the
treason they would charge upon the
Democrats.
If the Democracy of Utah were SIM
ply seeking the spoils of office then
policy would dictate that fusion be
encouraged. In this respect those who
are so anxious for fusion are they who
long for the flesh pots of Egypt; they
prefer flesh pots to principle every
time
Why all this anxiety about fusion in
Titan! The aVoWed reason is that II
viii further the silver cause; the silver
cause in Utah is safe; no one ques-
tons this. In this state neither the
silver cause nor the Democratic party
has anything to gain by fusion; if
either had there might be some reason
for Democrats to advocate it. Our
contemporary seems to think it an
awful crime for Democrats to wish to
further the success of their party. They
do the right thing when they do it, for
then they advance the cause of free
silver, which is the cause of Dem
ocracy.
If the Democrats of Utah are not
true friends to the cause of silver then
the cause Of silver has no true friends
in this or any other state.