The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-06-24

1'HOsE WHO READ carefully the
Republican platform sdopted at
Chicago ON Wednesday VIII understand
why no enthusiasm worthy Of inc name
attended its reading. by Senator Lodge
and IT'S passage hy the convention.
President Roosevelt could rule the con-
vent0n, and did rule it, but he could
not compel. spoutaneity of applause or
coutinued~demonsrations Of approval
by the delegates because no reason for
applause or approval at either nom
in2tions or platform could be given.
The greatest local interest in the plat
form was in the question as to whether
OF not an anti-polygamy plank would
be inserted. 1T became apparent early
ira The proceedings that nothing would
De said against polygamy the reason
being that AN anti-polygamy plank
might cost the Republicans Utah, Idaho
and Wyoming. II was c0wardly way
of putting it, bat politics is often cow
+ ardly business And the Republicans
are certain they VIII need the electoral
/ votes of the states named, which should
be some comfort for the Democrats.
The platform. generally speakingr
/ contains nothing new. 1t contains the
same old claims that everything good
/ In the country comes from the Repuo-
! Hcans. the same old charges that all
. the evil is properly attributable 60 the
/ Democrats. This would hardly deserve
+ mention except for the fact that in at
least one matter in which the west is
vitality interested the Republicans
( claim credit TO which they are not en-
titled. This is the matter of national
. irrigation, concerning which the plat
/ form says:
1--WE have passed laws which win
bring the arid lands Of the United
States within tbs area of cultivation %
we" have done nothing of the sort.
( The Herald does not hesitate to say
that if the Republicans i'm. congress had
had their way, and the records VIII
prove it. the national irrigation bill
would have been defeated. Although in
q decided minority, the Democrats cast
more votes in the house for the bill
than the Republicans. If only few
of the Democrats had voted against it,
Iit would have been defeated. Are the
Republicans entitled to credit for this
Another matter I'm which the west is
! interested is the question of statehood
for Che territories. The Republican
platform says not one word ON the
subject. -Four years ago it promised
/ statehood TO Arizona. Oklahoma, New
/ Mexico and Indian Territory. That
I promise was never fulfilled. This year
f. there is not So much as a promise,
from which we may infer that as long
as the Republicans are i'm power the
+ territories win remain. territories.
The platform declares fatty in favor
of ship subsidies which, of course,
would be of great benefit to Salt Lake
+ navigators and to the great west gem
/ orally. 1t is interesting too, to know
that the Republicans fought quick
and vigorous war with SPAIN We
/ are not yet willing to concede the plat
/ FORMS assertion that "Our administra-
ton OF the great departments of the
/ government has been honest and ell
/ clent." That looks like a fine bit Of
sarcasm.
/ Taken altogether. the platform is not
lone OF which the Republican party may
/ be proud. Il is cleyerly enough writ
ten, but before the campaign is three
weeks old It win have been shot TO
/ pieces in every state I'm the Union