Arizona citizen. [volume] (Tucson, Pima County, A.T. [i.e. Ariz.]) 1870-1880, 1876-09-09
TIE CITIZEN.
SATURDAY. SEPTEMBER 9, 1875.
SILVER PTObleIn-SOlne Legislative
Facts Thereon.

WAS 30 uuCA JtStcu btlu SO surprising
that when the first shock came, il was
like receiving vOlicy of bullets from
concealed battery. We readily knew
that wo wore badly hurt, but from
whence the damage came or where il
would end, no one seemed 20 under
stand. Now that the smoke has clear
cd away from this concealed battery
and the approaches 10 II have been ex-
amined, the cause appears and it is
found that a little thimble-rig game
has been practiced in Congress; the
bond holders in England and Germany
having furnished the Joker, and few
Of our leading financial Congressman
skilled in the game, sprung it upon
their respective Houses, and January
10, 1873, successfully passed little
bill entitled IAN Act to Regulate the
Minis, Assay Offices and Coinage Of
the United States" This bill had the
effect Of demone.izing silver, which
had been since 1898 and up to 1873, a
legal tender for all dues, public and
private This bill was nursed along
in the finance committee of the two
houses. When it came up for action,
no one understood il, except the few
who were specially instructed. AN
questions were evaded by them, and a.
little petulancc thrown in TO admonishI
the doubters that il WAS rather small
business 10 question the exalted wis
dom of the finance committees on sol
small n matter, after they had eXpend-
ed so much time in its consideration
and brought such mature wisdom toI
bear upon 1t. This innocent bill con-
tanned these provisions:
Sec Is, Provides that the silver
coins of the United States shall be al
trade dollar, "a half dollar OF 50centl
piece, q quarter dollar or 2j-ccnt piece,
etc, and said coins shall be legal
tender at their nominal vGlUe for any
amount not exceeding five dollars inI
any one payment
Sec. II. Provides that no coins shall
be hereafter issued from the mint, 9TH
er than those of the denominations, |
standards and weights herein set forth. |
Thus it will be seen that this little
and apparently harmless bill, upon
which the finance committees had be
slowed so much wisdom, in effect said
20 the foreign bond holders: Although
when you loaned Us your money ct an
almost unprecedented discount, you
agreed TO take in payment therefor gold
or silver, yet, inasmuch rs some other
nations have destroyed the legal ten
der character of silver, We VIII for
your benefit follow suit. 1t does not
matter if the hard-earned dollars laid
aside by the frugal mechanic, farmer,
or professional man, are
shrunk One-half or made total loss
It does not matter if the immense in
iustry Of silver mining in our own {
country is destroyed and the immcnseI ]
capital invested therein is made value /
less; it does not matter if every silver =
NINE opened at vast expense Is aban- :
tOned and tens of thousands Of people I
lre thrown out Of employment; it does S
not matter if one-halt of our money rs c
declared legal tender by our fathers, is f.,
ihrunG up SO as TO send distress and {
-uIn over the whole country; all h
TO nothing in comparison 10 :
.he interest We feel in contributing to q
he boarded wealth of the foreign :
bond holders. ,
We have underworld to fairly look IC
Il this silver question, and find that q
when the country frs, contracted its l
iebts it agreed 10 paw them in gold or /
silver, and we insist that il shall stand I
by the contract. We find the necessity I
or using silver as "a legal tender great t
II than when il WIS declared to be t
such in 1893. Us the population, trade /
md commerce have increased il great C
r proportion than the increase Of sill 7
yer. The domoRetizing of silver was {
brought about by . trick, or species of G
lcgerdemgin in which c
but few Of our congressman were post T
I'd, and none Of the forty millions of $
people, except perhaps a very few who q
were employed BIZ OF interested with 1
he foreign bond holders. Thereforcl
IS one Of the forty millions of people, I
sc insist that this tricky legislation be T
wiped off the statute books OF the ns- a
ion, and that the law be restored AS it
stood, and that under our o
sws as they were when We contracted 4
'ur debts, every dollar, principal and r
interest be paid according TO the con c
ract AMI not otherwise. AS well Z
might our law makers say that plGtina Il
alone shall be legal tender for our q
lebts and cast aside gold and silver. Us C
% reject silver. This question came a
upon the country suddenly and so un- .
sxpectedly, that at first the people, \
were confused, and it was some time q
before a proper understanding was T
but Us it is becoming under. i
stood, there is nearly a united voice =
coming up from the people, saying, !
give US back silver rs it originallylr
stood; and our law makers will fndl