The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-08-11
ssTHE UTAH DEMocRACY.,

lA4du lit 1IlDu1e NillEI- dCllOti VI
the national Democratic convention al
Chicago was due to the action of the
rank and file of the Democratic party
at their primary elections in the spring
and early early summer of 1896, in the
several states Of the Union.
The campaign for silver had been
started and urged for months previous
with the express purpose of securing
the election of delegates to the national
Democratic convention who would not
only declare for silver but for the free
coinage of silver at the ratio of 16 to l.
This is history, and the press dis
patches published in the columns of
1 the Tribune for the six months preced-
ing the meeting of the Chicago conven-
ton proves this.
1t was a hard fought campaign. The
! Cleveland administration, with all the
| force and power of the federal Office
/ holders in the several states. strove to
stem the tide of popular sentiment and
! prevent the people from controlling
! The great mass of voters in the Demo-
| cratic party We're in favor of the free
/ coinage of silver. and they did not pro-
pose to be turned aside. When the state
conventions met, in almost every state
in the Union, the financial policy of Mr..
Cleveland was repud;ated. This was
purely contest among Democrats aid
with Democrats. and yet after ALL when
it came down to business, it was not
much of a contest so lar as The oppon-
ents of free coinage We're concerned,
there was such miserably few of them
in comparison with the great army ar
rayed on the side of silver. The met
ropolitan 6ailies-Democrauic and Re-
publican-were against the people. but
the country press on the Democratic
side was on the side of right as well as
might. The one prevailing thought
among the Democrats throughout all
the days and nights while this battle
ragged was that there should be a con-
vention held at Chicago composed of
representatives of the people who
should write one plank in a national
Democratic platform on the silver issue
about which there could be no mis-
take as to its meaning. The humblest
member of the party, in the most 1e-
mote voting precinct in any state or
territory, knew the language IF that
plank. knew the form of the declara-
ton with reference to silver mat would
be promulgated at Chicago, provided
the wish of himself and his co-part;s-
ans prevailed.
The silver issue. so far as the DEM
ocracy was concerned, was settled he
fore the Republican convention assem-
bled at st. Louis. Enough delegates had
been elected. and the status OF the
cause was so well understood in the
several states where conventions were |
to be held, to insure a majority far sill |
Yer when the convention met; and the |
only question which concerned the sill |
yer men was whether hey would be |
able to secure enough votes to give |
them two-thiris or enough Ia nominate |
without having to resort to the neces-
sity of repeating the two-thirds rule.
Before the Republican convention met |
at st. Louis the Republican silver men |
in the west (and that was the only
section of the country where they were
to be found) were aware of the fact +
that the sentiment CT their party was
against silver, and their only |.
hope was to prevent the convention
making a declaration in regard to sill
Yer which would put the party on rec
ord as being squarely opposed to free
The result was very painful,
for our contemporary the shock was
terrible. and for a time recovery was
doubtful But soon an editorial dec
laration appeared, written and printed
regardless of the consequences that
might follow. so far as the writer was
Business considerations
rather than principle had 10 DO VI tn
shaping the course of the Tribune aft
er the st. Louis convention.
Several gentlemen of national repu-
tation walked out of the st. Louis con-
vention. and this act, on their part,
the Tribune would have the people pe-
lieve. was the great event which con-
trolled the action of the Chicago con-
vention when it is a matter of history
hat at that very time a majority of the
delegates to the Chicago convention
had been elected and pledged TO the
adoption of a plank declaring for free,
and Independent coinage of
silver at the ratio of 10 10 l.
The Tribune insists chat it was the
purpose to create a new party at Chi
ago and nominate Mr. Teller. Such ]
night have been the idea of some of ;
he gentlemen who walked out of the
st. Louis convention, but such a plan
never for a. moment found favor with '
he delegates to that convention. {
A more determined set of men never
assembled together than those compos-
ng the Chicago convention They
new exactly what they wanted, and
low to go about accomplishing the pur-
'ose for which they had met together. 6
10 man other than a Democrat stood
he ghost OF "a show to receive the am
nation for the presidency and ne had Z
Q be a rock-ribbed silver man. The
riends OF Mr.. Bryan came there shout {
lg for him for president, and as many
buttons with his. portrait ON '
hem were distributed as were distri- Z
uted for any other candi late. TIE
cmination might, in a cense, have :
cen d surprise to him and his friends, :.
ct he was an avowed candidate from =
ne start. His speech was in reply to =
'avid B. Hills famous speech against 9
ne silver plank. It helped Mr. Bryan,
is true. out it did not SHUT Mr.. Tel
r out of the race. fer at no time was :,
E in it as against Bryan, Boies. Bland -
nd a dozen other Democrats who .,
oil, oa ,1o,,aal -