The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-19
SENATOR CANNON AND FUSION.
Editor Herald:

scntation OF the fusion side of the sill
yer issue, particularly as it relates to
Utah affairs.
1t is unfair 70 speak of the commune
cation as betraying q singular combl-
nation of confidence and timidity, of
self bnegation and supreme assurance
on the part of Senator Cannon. AS one
who is opposed 10 fusion, and, there
fore, subject to the voluntary criticism
by Senator Cannon of being controlled
by self-seeking ambition, / feel free
in dealing with this question in as
candid q manner as Re has done. The
senator is, by this letter, an avowed
candidate for reelection. He is for
fusion. Others, on the Democratic side.
opposed to fusion, may have senatorial
ambitions es strong. but as yet I'M
aVowed. AS between Senator Cannon
for cooperation. and Democratic as
pirant for the senatorial toga who is
opposed to fusion, honors may be as
Sumed, by all fair-minded people, TO
be easy. If Senator Cannon's aspira-
tions do not color his views as to CO.
operation, then a Democrat, opposed to
fusion who aspireS to be Senator Can
mons successor. may be credited with
equal diSinterestedness.
If the independent silver Republicans
in Utah favoriEg fusion have neither
a hope of reward, nor a desire for pre-
l..
great cause, it would seem the part of
decency 70 assume that others. in OPP
posing fusion, might be inspired by no
less a high purpose. Men equally hon
est and equally earnest in the determi-
ration to consummate an Overmaster-
ing purpose, may differ as &c meth
o.
Nor is it likely to cOnduce to bet
ter understanding, such as may lead to
h.
minority 10 charge the majority with
being controlled by a selfshness born
of confident strength. 1t is certainly
true that many viii believe Democrats
opposed to fusion are animated by sell
fish motives, but l may be Dardoned
in expressing the belief that Senator
Cannon, and those with him. ali or
whom are working along purely unset
fish and patriotic lines, for the re-elec-
ton of Mr.. Cannon, will be entitled to
a great deal of credit as the most ole
aginous of manipulat0rs if they can
succeed in convincing the people of
this state that no personal ambitions
are below the unificatiOn movement in
this state. Let us place ambition in
opposition to ambition, selfishness
against selfishness, count patriotism as
an offset to patriotism, and then ex-
plain why the Democratic party which
in behalf of the cause of silver, should
surrender in order to satisfy the de-
mandS of an unoTganized body of men,
who demand personal recognition.
If, as Senator Cannon declares. the
issue is greater than any man-if tenn
ploying his views still furtheTl no sac
rifice is too great for it. then the cause
in Utah can only be imDeriled on the
assumption by Mr.. Cannon and those
WI Wit q fnllnraTG
would rather have the cause suffer
defeat, than that ii should achieve sue
cess under the banner of democracy. Is
not this putting the issue just as fair
ly as il is put by Senator Cannon's fol-
lowers, when they charge Democrats
with a devotion to party above love
of principle?
Those who favor cooperation do so
on the assumption that the men who
left the Republican party in the battle
of 1855, and thereby gave support TO
the Democratic nominees, will not do
so again. If this be true, then it is
also true that these same Republicans
prefer party and the hope of Office to
the cause they prate about SO loudly.
But do these gentlemen (when warn
ing Democrats of defeat to the cause
20 come from a refusal of Democrats to
yield any of their platform and adj
speak of their own devotion
to silver with mental reservation. or
do they fear the conduct OF those whom
they profess to lead? | dispute these
gentlemen in their implied attack upon
the integrity and loyalty of the mass
of former Republican voters in this
state, when they intimate that these
voters would rather see the cause lose
in Utah than support straight Demo-
cratic ticket. Every assertion on the
part of Senator Cannon and his Pc itical
henchmen that a refusal to cooperate
by Democrats gives an opening for sue
cess to the single standard advocates,
is a direct charge that the silver Re-
publican voters in this state are rot
for silver first, but are for Senator Can
Senator Cannon is an avowed
senatorial candidate.
Then Mr. Cannon speaks of the sacri-
fees made by him and others. It lould
be no sacrifice to do the right. especi ally
when the doing carries with il the plGu-
dts of thousands, and the support of
the great bulk of the voters to whose
suffrages his elevation is due. AS a
matter of fact. the only sacrifice made
was by Senator Brown. He knew he
sounded his political death knell when
he remained true to his party alleg-
lance. while Senator Cannon knew that
by his desertion he placed himself
strongly in the affections of his sup
porters. This everlasting talk about
martyrdom to Senator Cannon when
the choice was between political death
as reward to party fealty. and a per-
petual political aurora b0reaiis 81 de-
sertion. gives one that tired feeling that
even sarsa 2ariiia viii not relieve. Sen
ator Cannon did the only thing that a
political tr;cl-ster or a devotee of the
cause of silver could do. 1 do not say
he is political trickster-but a pOlit-
ical trickster would have done as Sen
ator Cannon has done.
He also speaks of the pain of a sew
erance of old party ties. Senator Can
non and those standing with him aban-
doned their old time allegiance because,
to have maintained that allegiance
would have been to sanction a gold
standard policy. The pain of an aban-
Comment of the ties of party would be
Just as great to Democrats, yet Senator
Cannon has no hesitancy in asking CO.
operation with him and his by Demo-
Gratis, and such corporation means a
support by Democrats OF men who
favor the Democratic platform of 1895
in one particular only-and who oppose
that platform in all else Moreover.
no Democrat has to abandon his party
because his party has followed strange
gods on the money issue: and Senator
Cannon nor anyone else should ask the
semblance of desertion, even 10 the
support of Republican. save on the
straight national Democratic platform
1855.
Senator Cannon and those he speaks
for are not of us-save on one thing.
We offer him all that he can hope for
in respect of that one thing, and if it
is a paramount issue as he claims, it
is his duty as a patriot, not only to
promise for himself, but to guide the
steps of his disciples into the ranks of
that party which alone gives any hope
Of success for this paramount issue.