The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-08-16
LEAF FROM THE RECORD


The Republican party in Utah, at every
successive convention, territorial and
state, has pledged itself to the doctrine
Of free silver coinage. At the national
convention of the party in st. Louis
every Utah delegate. save one. withdrew.
with Senator Teller and the other silver
leaders, upon the adoption Of the Hanna
Kohlsaat single gold standard platform.
The courageous stand taken by Senator
Cannon upon that occasion. and the
heroic speech he made from the platform
self and colleagues, despite the jeers' and
cat-calls of the rabble on the floor, con-
stitutes an interesting page in the his
tory of the Republican organization and
its evolution from a party of the people
to party of, for and by the plutocrats.
The reception given to the distin-
guished boilers, upon their return to Salt
Lake City. illustrated the unanimity and
spontaneity of public sentiment there In
favor of the cause and the course pur-
sued by the Utah representatives. The
one man who refused to leave the con-
vention sneaked into the city at night,
and to this day has not been forgiven
by his constituents.
Another state convention is about to
be held, and the call for 1t contains this
significant language:
| All who believe in silver, protection
| and reciprocity. and in working for
| these vital interests within the Repub-
lican party, and who indorse the mag
| nifcent record of President William
| Mckinley in his conduct of public at
| fairs are invited to participate in the
| primaries.
This action was taken after the receipt
and publication Of the letter from Marcus
A. Hanna, chairman of the national Re-
publican committee. protesting against
the taking of stand Gin opposition to
| the principles of the party. as declared
In the platform at st. Louis" Every
member of the committee voted for the
paragraph, and it was unanimously
agreed that 1.-THE invitation from Senator
Hanna to proceed with the complete dis
ruption of the party in Utah" should
not be accepted. A strong free silver
resolution will be included in the plat
form. The party refuses to go into the
legislature will be pledged to vote for
no man for the United States senate
who is not unalterably opposed to the
single gold standard. The senator and
member of congress to be chosen will be
required to give pledge that they will
not be controlled by Republican leaders
or caucus on the silver question.
The feeling aroused by the Hanna let
ter is shown by the publicly expressed
sentiments of the leading men of the
party in the state, few of which are
appended:
Attorney General Bishop-I heartily
indorse the CALL l think there is no
necessity for a departure from the
usual course taken by the Republican
party heretofore on the silver question.
and the Endorsement of the present adj
ministration would be an Endorsement
of gold platform. The Hanna letter
was In extreme bad taste. and should
not have been made public.
Fred Simon-There is but one issue
before us, and we should stand upon
the platform of the Republican party.
which meanl to stand for free silver.
first, last and all the time, and also for
protection and reciprocity. The Hanna
letter will only tend to solidify the sill
yer sentiment. We can indorse McKin-
ley's administration without indorsing
gold platform
s. b. Westerf1eld-The Hanna letter
has injured the party in this state.
favor standing up for free silver.
D. H. Wenger-The call Is all right,
and Republicans can get together on 1t
easily. The Hanna letter made every
Republican feel like quitting, and was
a very unwise communicate ton.
So much for the Republicans of Utah.
Let us now use the range-finder in locat-
ing the California Republicans. Their
last state convention, held May 5, 1885,
at Sacramento, adopted a platform
which, until another takes its place,
must stand as truthful declaration oil
the principles OF the party. The first
paragraph of that platform referring to
national issues reads as follows:
WE FAVOR THE FREE AND UN-
LIMITED COINAGE OF SILVER AT
THE RATIO SpFs16 TO I, AND THE
MAKING OF, SILVER AS WELL AS
MENT OF ALL DEBTS. BOTH PUB
Lie AND PRIVATE.
The action of the st. Louis convention,
coming after this declaration of faith
by the Republicans of California, did
not, and could not change It, 1t was an
expression Of the opinions Of the Repub-
Leans Of this state, voted upon in open
convention, antagonized by no one, and
carried without dissenting vote 1t |
has gone into history as the attitude of
the Republican party in this state in
the spring of 1896.
1t will be entirely within the province
Of the next state convention of the party
to .repudiate the plank in question; to
say that the principle involved in 1t is
not now Endorsed by the Republicans OF
the state; that they have. since 1896.
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