The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-07-09
FREE COINAGE
Hon. Oscar Turner, of Kentucky, on
the Coinage Bill.

ObCdT Oh heALuCA1 > OA
the Coinage Bill.
r Ia the House Of Representatives, on the l1ti
p inst during the discussion Of the amendmen
; t. the bill relating 10 coinage and COIN anf
/ bullion certificates, ana Tor other purposes
4 Hon. Oscar Turner spoke As follows
z Mr.. Speaker, VIC are discussing this bill
T. under the tive-minute rule, l viii proceed di
rectly To the merits of this amendment offered
by the gentleman from Texas Mr. Mills The
> misery that has been brought upon this coun-
,ry I'll. the financial legislation Of the last fiji
, / t--ely IN th@ interest Of the bondhoIders. has
been 50 thoroughly discussed that 1 viii not
irl>pa-- upon the time of this House III refer
ing 60 it. The masses demand relief, relief
from the burdens OF taxation and the unjust
legislation which IS making them poorer every
day, while il i adding to the wealth OF the
boudholdeTs. Silver mas been demoneGzed by
| fraud. so well concealed, that not even the
I mem berS Of the committee on this H0gr who
4 reported the bill under which il was done can
/ give any satisfactory account Of 1t or fix the
guiIt upon the perpetrator, as appears from the
/ speech Of the distinguished gentleman from
I Pennsylvania Mr.. Kelley. delivered in this
! House May 10, 1879, and which l refer to.
The currency has been contracted to such an
exteut'as to more than double the purchasing
power Of money. thus causing general shrink
ing in value all over the country. 1t i well
understood by the people. II has brought
bankruptcy and ruin upon the country. The
Republican party have had the power in every
branch Of the Goyernmeu mt, but instead OF Civ
ing relief they have added to the burdens OF the
people and by their votes at this session have
shown that they intend To oppose every measure
OF financial relief. The people are looking to liz
10 give them some relief and it Is the duty OF
tbe Democrats upon this floor to make the at
iempt, and II II Is not successful let the masses
know where the responsibility rests Let the
President II another h.a n,
disregard the right Of the people to financial
relief which Is just and proper. Let the peo-
pie know who is responsible. Let US do our
duty as Democrats on this floor.
Now, what Is demanded? We went free
ana unrestricted coinage of silver and to
make 1t legal tender for all amounts and all
debts. That is the grand object of this bill
But that Is not all the people need. The great
question Is to put stop to the interest-bear-
ing debt, to pay off the bonds and to give to
Us an increase OF currency. The amendment
OF the gentleman from Texas has for its
object these ends. 1t not only enables US to |
pay oil the debt to a large extent, by purchas- |
ing silver bullion, coming it into money and |
paying Tor it in greenbacks, and appropriatine /
that silver to the payment of the bonds that /
are payable in coin, but it puts the greenbacks /
III circulation which are paid for the silver
bullion. Thus it increases the circulation
very largely, while at the same time it ex-
tingulshes the bonded Indebtedness of the
country and stops the interest to the amount
0t many millions OF dollars, | regard this
amendment as important as the bill itself and
the author of this amendment is entitled to
The gratitude OF the suffering masses. 1t is
and meets and avoids the objection
lrged by some, that the bonds cannot be paid
N greenbacks, and at the same time it gives
o the country a large increase in the volume
II greenback currency.
| hope this amendment will be adopted
her Lot YbSfItE l. ~
lational bank currency, and pay off the bonds
lpon which they are founded or abolish the
'anks themselves-which are dangerous to
ivil iiberty-wielding almost a controlling
ower over this Government already Then
ct us tax the incomes of these bondholders.
Is we attempted the other day, if we can not
Ak the bonds themselves, and make the
ondholders bear their proportion of the
normous expenditures of this Government ::
rake the taxes equal and uniform-"edual
%hts to all, exclusive privileges to none"
hen we will have done something in the way
substantial rehef Tor the people OF the
'untry. And why, Mr.. Speaker, should we
VI do this?
The United States bonds We're originally pay
bic IN currency. They were put upon the
arket and sold at from forty To sixty cents
a the dollar One would have supposed when
icy went up to par 1t would have satisfied the
'arlce oil the bondholders, but it did not In
collation. OF the rights OF the American people
Republican Congress passed the act of March
:, 1869, making these very bonds PAYABLE in
m, and to add 10 this stupenduous fraud
ev demonettzed silver increasing the burden
taxation millions OF dollars and depreciat-
g the whole OF labor and property all over
e country by contracting the currency, all in
( interest OF the bondholders and 10 increase
cir wealth at the expense OF the farmers la
rers and all other producing classes-increas-|
Z the burden by taking away from the peo- -
G one OF the means OF payment, silver coin. AL
And now, to-day, when we propose to paw
-" bonds off in silver coin, we are met by =
e opposition OF that same party, voting on =
cry proposition in the Interest OF the bond -
ding aristoc~acy Of the country, here ard in
Irope, and against the interest OF the toilinc ~
asses of the people, under the false crv that ~
ey want honest money!
Why, Mr. Speaker, who first created the
eeuhack currency and declared il a legal-ten-
r with unjust exceptions in favor of the -
ndholders and the Government? 1t was the VI
publican party. They not only did that :" os
t forced Democrats 10 lake it, at the point
the bavonet and under threats of auardhous- nm
in Kentucky, and l suppose elsewhere. ct
1t they did not stop even there They so or re-
niled the supreme Court as to procure de- pr
non that greenbaclss were lawful and consti- I'M
JIonai money, and that Congress had right
make them a legaI-tender. Now, if they -
e good enough for the laboring-mau If they
2 good enough for the farmer, they are good
ough Tor the bondholders and it would live to r.
every bond paid in greenbacks, but the repre- "a
natives of these bondholders on this floor are
even willing 10 take silver coin; but, sir.
: people will force them to take il. or fare
rse. The American people will not stand
S unjust discrimination in favor of the bond
lder much longer. They will have uni
M currency, receivable for all dues pubIic
1 private, and uniform and equal taxation
II Is just as certain as l stand upon this 10
or 1t is the will of the people, and in 20
publican government, ror pOpuli uor Del. 8,