The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-09-27
FORCING THE ISSUE.

"a friend of David B. Henderson
has addressed an open letter to the
next speaker which is published in the
current number OF the Forum. That
the writer is an able and experienced
politician is demonstrated by the
character of the advice rendered. AL
though the administration may be
wrong do not oppose it, he admonishes
the gentleman from Iowa. 1.-The path
of partisan politics is strewn with the
bones of men who have tried it," The
fact that Lincoln devoted his entire
congressional career in 1S4s-7-S to the
opposition of Folks administration and
the bitter, unceasing condemnation of
his war policy towards Mexico is not
mentioned. The case of Whitelaw Reid
who afterwards criticised Lineoln's
conduct OF the civil war and was subse-
quently crowned with high honors by
the Republican party is not cited in
support of this warning. But the adj
monition Is given for what it is worth,
and, no doubt, it is emphasized with a
threat because of General Henderson's
well known opposition to the colonial
policy of the administration.
But the action urged most upon the
prospective speaker is in the interest
of further and more effective legislation
for the gold standard. While the coun-
try rests upon a gold basis and has
rested there for a quarter of a century
the anonymous friend Of the Iowa
statesman points to the repeated decla-
rations and pledges of the party in
power to enact the gold standard into
law and to give the circulation and
control of paper money over to the
national banks entirely. These things
viii have to be done, he says. and only
eighteen months remain in which to
do them.
Legislation of this kind is inevitable,
it seems. Every goldite in the east
is calling for it. encouraged to do so
by gratifying reports received from
agents of Hanna in the west The
Mail and Express, which flounted the
false flag of international bimetallism
longer than any other Republican news
paper of the east. now says:
Representative Babeock of Winconsin.
who served as a member of the sub-com-
mittee appointed by the Republican
caucus committee OF the house to pre-
pare currency bin for submission to
congress al the approaching session, has
made Il public statement concerning the
project which is extremely gratifying to
all true supporters Of the sound money
movement He announces that the COM
pleted bill. which is now in his posses
sion. contains a formal and unmisi akable
declaration in favor of the gold standard,
which. if il becomes a law. will place the
country explicitly on gold basis.
It gives assurances that the sub-com-
mittee of the senate committee on
finance will concur in the measure,
which means that the bill as reported
viii pass both houses. The Mail and
Express has learned from responsible
sources-members of the various finan-
cial committees:
]. That the bill prepared by the senate
committee. like that prepared by the
house committee. will embody a flat
footed declaration for the gold standard.
and that the two committees will reach
general features of both measures:
,. That the bill finally agreed upon will
receive the hearty approval of the adj
ministration and Of Republicans gener-
ally;
8. That the measure VIII pass both
branches of congress; that it will be
signed by the president. and that it viii
respond to the demands of the most eX-
acting advocates of sound money.
This enables the New York organ of
Republicanism to predict chat the
coming congress viii pass a bin, the
purpose of which is to fix the gold
standard as permanently as possible
upon the nation. and it calls upon Re
publicans everywhere to rejoice and
prepare to celebrate the passage of this
law, the first and most important of
whose provisions Will be a positive,
outspoken declaration that the perma-
nent, statutory basis of our currency
shall be GOLD"
Speaker Henderson win undoubtedly
give his personal influence and the
weight of his power as speaker to the
enactment of this browning act of Re
publican legislation, and the president
has already upon more than one occa-
sion signified his hearty aequiescence.
With such infamous work as this
ahead who can keep The financial issue
in the background if he would? And
who, believing. in the principle of BIZ
metallism. can lend his aid, encourage
ment, influence and support to a party
which contemplates the inniction of
such a grievous wrong upon the. people
OF this republic?