Smyrna times., 1878-02-06

/ everything passed OIL very nicely. The
exercises opened with chorus hy the
school, followed by prayer by Rev. j. S.
watson. The programme consisted Of reci-
tatlons, dialogues, solos, duets. &C., several
pieces being called a second time, and one
OF the most pleasing recitations being by
ELIJAH Watson, Il little son of the pastor,
which, the way it was delivered. showed
well the training he had had. Excellent
memory was shown in the recitation of
the " Diamond Ring" by Mrs. Ray, and
indeed everything was well rendered, con.
slderlns the small chances the school has
had in this department. part of the
church was reserved especially for the
whites, everything being as clean and neat
as possible, even the floor showing the great
care taken Of the church. After the enter.
talnment ice cream and cake were served.
a WHITE CITIZEN.
The SILVER QUEsTION-B Business Hen In.
trrricwcd-The advocates of the SILVER Tn.
ilatlon have been exceedingly noisey. so
much so as to give the impression as they
claimed, that the people were very largely
In favor OF it, In fact one of the newspa.
pers stated that nine.tenths of the people
IN Kent county were in favor of it. To
get at their opinions as expressed by them.
selves we have interviewed a number of
our business men without regard to party
| productions, with the following result:
John p. Cooper had not given it anv
study. hut did not think it would make
much difference either way He believed
with General Grant, that when we spend
more than we make, we are in u bad way.
| Did not express himself in favor of taking
declmated coin for a debt contracted at the
standard value.
John A. Clvender at first seemed in favor
OF the dollar Of the daddes," but when
asked If he did not want an honest dollar.
| replied yes, it it takes 800 grains to make
It. Except in limited quantities gold and
silver were of little use but for mechanical
purposes.
Mes>rS. John II. IIolttchpr, William II.
Bags and JAS. Z. IIoifecker looked unon
the silver movement as frau lulcnt in inten
| ton, and if passed, as delteriou5 in practi
cal results The question if let alone would
soon regulate itself, as gold and greenhacks
! were nearly at the same market value, and
gold coin would most probably be in circu.
iation very soon even If not affected by the
| Resumption Act, which if not repealed
would take effect in loss than year.
Col. II. {. Douglass thought the effort to
| pass the Bland bill discrcditable to the
government. lfCongress had right to enact
that 9l cts. should pay for a dollar of mer.
| chandlse, they had an equal right to declare
that 6O cts. should. a country commands
respect only as it kept its obligations. A
| noticeable thing IN this discussion in Con.
gress was the disregard of party lines. but
| IN looking over the names engaged in IT,
tho men of greatest character and strength
were opposed to the measure. On being
asked if he did not think there was
| probability Of the re-casting Of nolitical
! parties should the silver craze " continue
replied lie thought it probable. That if
we ever got poor enough. and we were fast
goin" that way, the question of honesty and
fidelity to public trusts by those in power
would he more scrutinized by the people
In this regard Mr.. Bayard commanded the
respect OF the entire nation, and when he
denounced Il measure the people believed
he did 1t from honest convictions.
JOS Smithers though the whole thing
! foolish, and the measure. should it become
a law would be unjust to the people
What the people wanted was dollar of
equal value, whether it be gold, silver or
paper.
David j. Cummins said that when one
statesman said the bill would bring such n
result, and another stated Just the onposite.
1t tended to perplex the people. His con.
viction was that it would be better to stick
to the gold standard, than go through
another period of imitation that could only
he temporary and must soon result in bus.
ness depression again as we are now passing
through. Resumption would soon be
reached, and if there were those who had
to "go under" it would he better than to
extend it over an indefinite period with
finally the same result. 1t would be better
for the country for US to get down to "hard
PAN"
A. Price Griffith believed in a single
standard of value. Silver had always been
an article Of commerce, subject to constant
changes Of valuation. With the small diff.
ference in value between gold and paper,
we are at the point Of resumption, without
regard to the silver bill "The wav to re.
sumption, is to resume"
Col. Geo. w. Cummins claimed not to he
posted on the action of the Bland bill. but
so far as he comprehended its provisions
was in favor oft and the dollar of thirty and
forty years ago. He was in favor of anv
Measure that would bring up values, and
thought large circulation of silver would
do 1t. Greenhacks had passed through
| @tF'tI HVIiFCIdlloHo Ol Vdlue Wnllp 2 legal
tender and silver could only do the same.
The Government had done the country a
great injustice when it broke up our State
banks and substituted for it the greenhack
In response to the question ns to whether
a silver dollar should have 4l23, 422 or 434
grains, he expressed himself in favor of
either.
Capt. John Mustard said you needn't to
ask the people about this question. There
is not one in hundred that knows any.
thing about it. This is degenerate age,
and have lost faith in men. A Congress.
man gets up to make speech and you
cannot tell whether he is telling you his
convictions or is speaking according to the
way he gets the largest fee. The bonds
were issued to be paid in gold or silver coin
and the coins were the same valued then
as now Everything fuctuates but a mans
debts and that never depreciates in value.
Things are terribly corrupt. He thought
the Government should be honest and
issue an honest coin.
n. f. Wilds, while admitting some argu.
ments in its favor, thought the bill ought
not to pass. 1t was question in which
the money was one side and the honor on
the other. When the bill creating govern.
mont honds was nassQd the silver dollar