The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-01-10
THE SILVER DISCUSSION.

The topic of discussion now most
prominent in the country is the Sill
yer Bill which lately passed the
House by such an unlocked for ma
and is now before the Senate
awaiting its action. Many who be:
lieve in retaining merchandise for
currency, object to the precipitancy |
with which this bill is urged, though
they do not object to using silver as
well as gold for money. They argue
with much force, however, that if
this is to be done effectively the mea-
sure should be carefully considered,
and, in fixing the proportionate
weight of silver and gold to make a
dollar, we should act in concert with
other nations that still retain both
metals,-as this bill does not. A
part of the philosophy of the present
action is given by the Brooklyn Ed
gle Intensely hard money and dem
~ocratic) as follows:
"When the old silver dollar was
demonetized in 1873 the words of the
law in which it was accomplished
were obscure and not capable of be-
ing instantly understood. There were
very few persoas'wbo were aware of
the movement to outlaw that dollar.
The project was struggled into The
bill as deXterously as ever a pick
pocket fearing detection put the
purse he had lifted into the pocket
of some Innocent person. 1t is liter
ally true that neither House of Con
gress knew that it was demonetizing
the dollar when it was doing so. It
is quite possible for the Senators
and Representatives to be imposed
on in this way. Bills are not always
read through at any stage. When
they are read through they are fire.
quently read bnrriedly and mudded-
l.y;; little attention is given them. A
great deal is trusted to the honor and
intelligence of committees. The
confidence is misplaced in some in
stances. The old silver dollar was
demonetized, declared not a legal
tender, by a clause in an act which
was passed by a success of mystery,
collision, and false pretenses. A few
Ring Congressman and the Treasur-
~ Department of the United States
were only aware ofthe effect of the
proceeding at first. They kept quiet
about it until they had perfected
all their arrangements for making
their exclusive knowledge profitable
to themselves and their friends in
the money market of the country.
When the people were informed OF
the fact that. by a put up job, silver
had been demonetized the surprise
was complete. The wisdom or the
unwisdom of the act aside, there was
never an act of Congress accomplish.
ed by means more sneakingly and
fiagraltly immoral. The House has
as suddenly and openly passed a bill
r~emonetizing the silver dollar of Is.
Is as the Congress. of that year secret
~ and unwittingly demonetized it
Though in a thin House the VOTE
was 163 to "a, a surprisingly large
one, and at the same time by a vote
of LAB to 4S the House ordered de
bate on the bill, repeating the dat
r clause-January L. 1S79-set for re
sumption, to begin at once and con
tinue q week, and that then the bill
shall be put on its final passage. l
the effect of this proceeding coulC
end just here, there is no doubt tina
q ST arting sense Of wrong felt by tn
House would be appeased. TIL
question of political economy apart
it must be said that that resentmen
: was legitimate. For a House to b
r tricked into something it did no
want to do, and never would hav
done if its leaders had honorably &C
quainfed it with the effect of it's owl
course, is a very serious and aggra
waiting insult. 1t rankles for years
| 1t penetrates constituencies. Hous
, ~bequeGths to House the desire an,
the duty of revenge. The Souther
{ and Western who were tricked into
decentralization of silver for year
ago feel indignant towards the me
n who had deceived them"