, 1877-07-06
THE SILVER QUESTION.

/
Decentralization Acs Of 1813-~-A "Thrca'
of Knavsry."
| ~ tas Editor of 77t 7ftoane.
CHICAGO, July 1.--Thc Now York Eaito
said lately that There was thread Of knasor
rnnnlnx through the national demand for tll
reconciliation OF eilvcr."
1t Is interesting, in that connection, 10 trac,
the " thread Of knsvery " running through tn
act of Fcb+ IL, 1s73, dcusonctizlng silvur; IL /
Interesting also to SEQ tho Now York Natip,
plnascrel, front and srar, inside and out, witt
TIC advertisements of It's chief hackers aud sup
portcr4, the Wall-strect bankers. bullonlatt
anil syudtcntcs; Il Is consotIng to know That I'll.
Nasipn represents no lopger independent opln
lon, but simply the dcstrcs of It's Wa1l-stEcet
advertisers; It Is Atto Interesting to recall ttt
story Of the thief who shouted "stop thief
louder tlan honest men
study Of tho Decentralization act Of 1871
reveals a "t,lrcatl Of knavcry,"-rcrcals Iufum1
and fraud OF the face oftt
| The act conslsta VI ti1ty-eeven long sections
t,lfcd with detailed regulations OF United statcs
Assay Offices. Manta, and Dsanch-Afluta; rcgula,
tons for clerks, assistants, and workers IL
Mlnts md ASSAY Offices; rules for tho receipt oi
bullion for tho coinage, Ctc., etc. 1t is entitled
IAN act revising and amending the laws rcla.
ttvc 10 tho Minis, Assay -Oilices, and coinage oi
the UnIte;, States"
From 17ua to 1878 tho silver dollar Of 4leL
| grains had bceh cotned at our Mints, md waa
tho lawful unit OF values In the United Statcs.
That siiv1r dollar lad always ttcn ategalteldcr
for my amount, aud receivable for ali tubta,
serted amid Ialleee OF the net concerning Miut-
regulations, Tho liking Ut eaArIcs Of minor
officials, ete-, mark frauu No. l OF thls law:
sEs. II. That the geld CONS Of tho United statoa
pese, @ .cafa o. ave.5oss * "sse, sn!.
aont.ttnttar piece which. at tho standard weight
rs Ss s9es sstS FeI soIa. .s s sG
al Payments ut tholf nominal value.
By this clause wo nro brought face 10 face
with the Significant and startling fact that tho
saerr dollar 10 no fungcr tho unit Of vaiues, but
that The goQ dollar i now that s.antlar, unit !;
In other words, the first step towards M cxcl-
stvu gold basis. Ths "nulet workers" " ia Con-
grcss, a. they aro significantly called, did their
work wctts for, before this, ttio one-dollar gold
coin was but miniature toy, or trinket, mostly
worn Oh 1altcs' watclchafns. Dy this act Il
was surrcpttt!ousIy made thu SOLD legal unit and
the extluaivc standard Of American values.
Frnu1 No. on the faco Of tho bill IL Us fol-
lows:
SEC. IL. Tho Bilyrr coin Of Tho United States
shall he traAs- -dnitar, t,alfdolar or ffty cont
ptccs. aquaFtar-do1ias or twenty. .nys-csnt piece,
t..to. 81 .c peSS nna ns Ts's o. tc
ihs haif. dollar shgH IL f.rstrf ortras l1ramres1
ard os<.SS!y 9r % graa. tgIq,n"'tl, and 90
half and one Atth VI thc weight Of suld hatJ-
stS,ar; and ~ sons p" '1a 3. at
r ns a2m!ans snaae yor aMy a1oa"a not sreteding
b. sracI ieo to t6rr Sr ts tna sna
Of tho Icnonitstons etsudssis' nn,, Wsiuhts si IN
thls act aet forth. "" s'@""' ."
Why did they leave out tho old dollar of 41o1s
fhas Va NV rvcs % rnincs, i,efnrss 'n'a "oy
s.,,..tarr 1.o,,t,r.1I !. ~. - .l ..A
@ Da.we' aa,s H. "a, "a e one o. @ as nasct
thnse words: 1.-THE rold doiar nIcen. .n,avss ,a "a
t., spufoyiuaiy concntine On ths inta,nous @ act act
of Feh' II is Il ia tnnie tio doIar tsnif os thc
bil, and tl,o srsr iolar ptes d diseontim,.i o r.
hnwryer az 1;ivrr ao|iar e omthartraf II shtwt,I
be- sa,ei nnlv A c1,rnrrriai tlaIJor AMI ,.oS ~
q standard u,it Of paIut IX Of uas eaixs sshien
T. thr T,.s t,r cir1sit7t IN ff"~ e..t;
o0es 0ris.;ai coansriss.S " 0''' ''p'' ''''
ly placed stsero IS b,nd 10 tako Il ths % niace Of
"1uict workers" for the plutocrats we'll knew
thas, by familiar AID wcl.scttiei nattt,,i io,y
Of money and tnancn. thIa 4ndlrrn,n roin ho,rn,
too hcayyfo ever circulate in tiiis cnuntrv,
would ay at oneo and forever to tbs c.rcuiation,
don't scc,n saId Dcn IutIcr Al that tina awhy
tsy cola that tra,lo,ollar. Tar ii ali ,nes In ths
Chinese and iljnduos, and ,.rrsr ootnes 6,ekn il
never waA intended to come hack. anil r<,V.,r
viii cyx,,e bark. betnuso II ia hcavirr th"n
nny tlolIar oynr coInr.i bcforr In ancri.. r,.A
iias my one rot anY tratiesioifars bcsci a.
boutwell, truly sald, hThey uru vrent fngnrttrs
In Cliia aud tl,v Oriontui couutries.n and ticv
arc 70 heavy that tiloy viii stay thurs; an liz
tpaa who wfots ti,0t |ow knew Ia at tha TIM"
md n,s,lc ti,csa n,,if.eu %,,.. s,o.wv ~ ia
tress nt.rnsst, and aiso +" howt1t III sat rhsnt
peupla jutu tt,e notion tMat ihrrs was n sji,sr
dollar In c1lsfcnre nftar nljt II ecryctt sIsn na
8 convctticnt i,lind behtnti which to drop out
lie usturul silYcr dollar of 4i3k vraj,,sNn
tktnonutss 4. ~ ~''
Why did t|1cso gentlemen authorize h.ts.
dollar weighing l1i< Ernrnmcsf
In hlinirsd ntber nlnrrs In th. sr+- ,-,v
nytrntI.n"i tnst."sn ha.. a.,,s. w ~ mI, y,
metric measurement of Htfyuvpxx. n
Sufns one viii say, icca1lae thai mel rfc svstam
wns then iswfui Truu. fnIt this nct Svr1rosai4,
nrovides Wv 'A'' w. sA"ess'y
from ans,c ~ ~ 10 nns ia1 sto{ Poaao' brought
United Htates tiut cMnfnrmah1s ~ xhieh " tho
coinage shall b regulated, ~ ""'~" ''''
Whv this sfnu,o f,,,orcn ~ rx.,>,,, -
motrIc naast,rr,"ent "1n"sz " rs afn hra gsumes
Of pra}xs tr,y thsnunhnut fhs ~ ~. 4"u'ea "ses
Iistn.Isr sorn,, nnr SnMi'i ~. 49, ~ ,..,
r,es, ~ tan., ~ .on.u uo.e tuo TIL
.N'S",S SS'"~on stto PAoFDEttoH4la HeEIt OF I1o