The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-01-29
THE TRIBUNE's M'KINLEY REC
ORD.

There was nothing at all remarkable
about President McKinley's speech at
the third annual meeting of the Ma
tional Association of Manufacturers of
the United States, Thursday night The
president took no new position: did not
place himself where he has not been
standing ever since he was elected; did
not tell anything that was rot already
common knowledge.
The Tribune treats the speech as
though it were a revelation and would
have its readers believe that it is
amazed and totally dumbfounded. 1t
is a beautiful example of injured in
nocence. 1t says that the speech re-
moves "au doubt of where" the presi-
dent stands. There has been no doubt
in the minds of any save those who
were blind, wilfully or deceitfully, as
to where the president stood on the
financial question. There has never
been a single minute in a single day
since November 3, 1896, that there was
a single doubt as to the presidents
stand on the financial question.
The Tribune, having seen a great
light. says the president lis the direct
enemy of silver" When was he any
thing else since he became president?
His every act has shown him to be
this, and vet the Tribune has been the
apologist of his every act, showing this,
trying to make its readers believe that
the president was attempting to do
something for silver when all the time
he was bending all his efforts to COM
pass its destruction. Why did it do
this2 1t only can answer, but it has
been a popular impression that it
wanted to stand in with the gold adj
ministration and with the silver forces
at one and the same time. People have
asked why it was constantly heralding
President Mckinley as the champion
of the silver cause when they knew
him to be its arch enemy. The Trib
bune may have believed that the presi-
dent was honestly and sincerely desir-
Gus of doing something for silver, but
a great many people do not believe that
its protestations of belief were sincere,
while nobody was able to understand
how it could arrive at such a belief
when the evidence in the case was con-
sidered.
THE Tribune had hoped better things
of him. but it does so no longer" A
great confession this; and confession is
good for the soul 1t had hoped for
better things. But what becomes of all
those I'VE happen to know assertions
that it was wont to use as a final
argument whenever the presidents po-
sition was assailed? Whenever The
Herald has shown that the president
was hostile TO silver our contemporary
has pulled out its I'VE happen to know
ex- cathedra argument as clinching the
case in its favor. II now happens that
it didn't happen to know after ALL It
sought TO convey the impression that it
was in touch with the administration
and had definite knowledge as to its
financial plans. 1t never wearied in its
to- all friends of silver to
help It hold up" the presidents hands
in his efforts in behalf of silver. Since
he is doing as much for silver today
as he has at any time, why not con-
tinue to hold up" his hands? 1t offers
an unsurpassed opportunity to inau-
gurate a continuous performance.
Eut why has the Tribune so suddenly
front on the question of the
administrations attitude towards the
silver question: Have the scales fall
len from its eyes or is it merely re-
moving a mask? Mr. Mckinley has
made a declaration; that is all. Can
any declaration speak louder than his
acts have2 What did his choice of a
secretary Of the treasury mean but
that he was unequivocally for the
gold standard? What was his special