The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1878-09-28

cussion on tho floor Of this House, with
out previous discussion 10 tho country
with representatives in high standing
demanding in vain that it should b.
read even for information, was forced tt
It's passage under . suspension of th'
rules, II should have boen entitled aI
act Of assassination. It assassinated {
coin that our fathers made legal ton
dor and handed down 10 us-a colt
tha: was recognized rs money more
than thousand years before the Chris'
tian cra-a coin which. upon tho day
Of its assassination, was worth more
upon tho American markc. than gold.
Tho motive for this act is easy to
perceive, About tho time Congress:
provided for tho payment Of tho whole
Government debt 10 coin, sil yer mines
Of uuexampled richness were discovered
10 our western mountain ranges and
tho means wherewi.h to easily pay the
debt were placed in our hands, as if by
the interposision Of Providence. The
bondholders, forosceiug that au abun.
daut supply Of this precious motal
would reduce tho value Of their bonds,
procured the demonstration Of i. and
the silver dollar was stricken down.
Tho act was SO clandestiuely passed
that not a member Of this House raised
bis voice against it, aad not uewspa.
per in all the land proclaimed the fact.
THIS act, Mr.. Speaker, was an offonso
agains. God aud man.
The money power having succeeded
BY tho several acts to which l have re-
fcrrcd in changing the payment Of tho
Governments Indebtedness from cur.
EcnOy 10 coin, there remained but one
thing more 10 be done for Tho accom-.
plishmsnt Of their purpose, and that
was tho procurement Of the resumption
act. By it tho 1st day Of January
next, loss than eight months from this
time. was fixed for tho resumption in
gold coin Of every form Of Government
Indebtedness payable at that timo.
This was tho crowning ioiquisy in the
conspiracy Of which have spoken. 1t
has done greater violence TO popular
rights, to tho honest relations between
man and man, than any other net Of
Congress convened since tue foundation
Of the Republic. 1t has destroyed more
fortunes,it has silcnced more workshops,
auuihilatod moro values, bankrupted
more homes and blasted more prospects,
inflicted more idlcness. aud harmed
more men, women and Children than
any other act that ever disgraced q
statute book.
The estimated value Of tho real and
personal property Of tho United States
in 1870 was, in round numbers,
10000, 100, 10000. Tho contraction OIL
tho currency growing out Of these sev-
sral acts has produced q shrinkagc. as
it is generally estimated, Of from 10 to
50 per cent. Of that real and personal
property Of the country; shriukage
that, in the aggregate, amounts to
about SIS, 900, 100000, a sum more
than seven times as great as the amount
Of our entiro national debt. The
judgment Of mankind will be that this
is most shameful and ruinous oppres.
sion for tho benefit Of q favored few,
The fact that two years after the
war tho country was in a more prosper.
Gus condition than it is now. Is years
after the war, and tho further fact thai
to secure tho payment Of these sec
bonds in coin intead Of currency has,
by shrinkage Of values destroyed ten
tunes as much Of tho national wealth as
the bonds amounted to, shocks the moral
sense.
To my mind tits tho duty Of Con-
gress to repeal these acts which have
worked such disastrous results. There
was po property or necessity for tho act
"to strengthen tho public credit" Ii
object was to change tho contract under
which tue $50 bond were payable in
currency and make them payable iu
coin. II imposes IN additional heavy
burden upon the people and gave to The
holders Of our bonds a bonus amount
ing to hundreds Of millions Of dollars,
/ sec by statement furnished me b.
tho Treasury Depurtmcn. a few day
ago that these bonds now outstanding
aud uufundCd amount to S454. $751;
$50. Congress should by appropriate
legislation at this session direc. the
Secretary Of tho Treasury to call in aud