Weekly Chillicothe crisis., 1880-02-05

says that the author of the soldiers bill
is not in earnest, and that the bill will not
pass. Sir, let me say that the author Of
that bill and the more than FIVE hundred
thousand men who stand behind him
were never more in earnest than now
They were not more earnest when storm
ing the heights of Fort DonelsOn, or
fighting the bloody battles of Shiloh, Get
tysburg and the Wilderness. And this
house must give the relief asked for, or
these men will send congress here that
will grant their prayer.
My colleague from Ohio Mr.. Pricel in
his speech to the house d few days ago
told us that we must let well enough
alone. He is, in fact, the author Of a
resolution that we shall not agitate this
question any further before Congress,
He holds up his flag of truce and COM
mands silence until he gets the currency
retormers in the right position, and then
he violates his flag of truce himself, and
fires upon us from every standpoint, from
every cOntroverted position
He told us that France had S426, ,000,-
900 Of silver money, and sixty per cent.
more than that OF gold. That would give
France $40 per capita in gold, $l2 in sill
yer, and she has Sl2 per capita in paper,
making in all $43 per capita for the en-
tire population, while in this country we
have not to-day $8 per capita in actual
circulation, although we have popua-
tion fifty per cent. greater than France,
and an area of territory eight times larger
than the territory of that country.
My colleague has occupied every sign
in the zodaic upon this question of finance,
and no man can tell from what he said in
his speech whether he iavors this bill or
is opposed to it. have read the speech
carefully, but am unable to determine.
My colleague Mr.. Price stands record
cd in the history Of this house as having
voted for the Bland bill. That was & bill
for free, unrestricted coinage of silver.
He also stands recorded at the extra ses-
sion of this congress as voting against the
passage Of the Warner bill, which was in
substance the same as the Bland bill.
Now, how he can reconcile his votes on
these two measures ! cannot understand,
nor can they be explained, for the reason
that they we absolutely contradictory.
Nor can understand how the gentleman
can Justify himself before this house and
before the country. Let him explain if
he can. Why should not this country
have as much money as France? In ma
ter'al resources, population and extent Of
territory we are vastly her superior; but
my colleague Mr.. Pricel lauds the green
back
There is one thing | do not want him to
do II n not npt trNy 10 MI tnIn had
with the Greenbackers without first tax
ing off his Republican boots and overcoat.
Laughter,
Mr.. Speaker, nope the house will re-
fuse to pass this bill-will recognize it as
a serious attack upon the Qreenback,
and an attempt to degrade the best cur
rency we have to a place even below the
subsidiary silver dollar and the trade
dollar. The bill is calculated to take the
grccnback out Of the reach of the people
and place it in the hands of those who will
hoard it. Under the law as ltnOw stands
they cannot do tins as well as they could
desire. The people have some little pro-
lection. But if this bill becomes a law
they will be largely deprived of the legal
tender paper dollar. 1t will disappear
from circulation. 1t is not the intention
of men who have coin to sell to put the
greenback in circulation. They are the
enemies of the greenback. 1t is their in
tention to retire it from circulation-noth-
ing else.
Mr.. Speaker, the attempt has been
made in this house since the assembling
of congress to suppress the discussion Of
the financial question. tcannot be done.
The pressure comes without 1t comes
from the people who are masters of the
situation. T..ey are discussingi It in every
village and hamlet, in every public meet
Jag, in the workshops, and even in the
churches, laughter; and they will con-
tmue to discuss it until it is settled in
| their behalf.