Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1882-06-01
SILVER COINAGE.
A Breezy Interview with Congressman
Belford.


Belford.
Washington Special to Chiclgo Tribune.
The bimentalists are excited owe
the fact that majority of the hous
banking and currency committee ha
reported a bill to discontinue the issu
of silver certificates. Meeting Judg
Belford, | asked:
Have you seen the report of the ma
jOlity of the subcommittee of banking
and currency on retiring silver certili
cates?'
"Yes, | have. That committee il
composed of two members from New
Jersey and one from Maine. Harden
bergh is the champion of the nationa
banks, and Brewer of the tariff. Thes,
gentlemen have signalzed their servic,
in congress by looking after purely
eastern interests; and they are al
willing to sacrifice my section Of the
republic. They expect me to vote Il
protect the silk industry of New Jer
sey, the iron interest of Pennsylvania
the cutlery interest of Connecticut
the shipping interest of Maine, and
then they expect the people of the
west to follow the lead of Wall street
and sacrifice the interests of the Pacific
slope. The folly of these men passes
my comprehension. They want west.
ern members to vote for tariff COM
mission in order to keep up high tariff
duties, but when we ask them to pro-
tect silver they turn their backs to
u.s."
"What do you think of the tariff
commission bill ?"
"The truth is, that the tariff commits
sion is mistake and a bluuder. The
men who are getting rich by exorbi-
tant duties want to delay revision in
order that their unhOly gains may be
perpetuated indefinitely. We have had
nine tariff acts in this country, and no.
body ever thought of a commission un.
til the manufacturers found that the
tariff must be revised, and then they
brought forward this measure to cheat
and defraud the people. you want
commission to devise means of getting
money into the treasury, why don't
you want commission TO devise ways
of getting it out2 If the committee
on ways and means is incompetent to
supervise revenue questions, why is not
the committee on appropriations equal.
ly incompetent to devise ways to pay
the money outp
THE TRUTH IS,
the whole thing IS a blunder. Take
sugar We import $4,000, 900 worth
and collect S47,0O0,0O0. Do you want
a commission to advise you on that
su6jectp The same is true, in large
degree, of other things. But they say
we must eliminate the tariff from poll.
tics. When it is eliminated what is
left? What are you going to fight the
coming campaign on2 They propose
to do nothing with the tariff. They
admit that We have an immense sur.
plus revenue-that taxes and duties
must necessarily be diminiShed-but
they want to put off this measure for
years to come. If the monopolists can
buldOze the committee on ways and
means, what effect will they have on
the PRESIDENT He is mortal. like the
rest of us. Now, am in favor of
protecting all our American industries,
iron, silk, cutlery, sugar, copper, hemp,
salt, and silver; but those eastern gem
tlemen want TO give silver the cold
and protect everything else.
That scheme won't win.
THE WEST PROPOSES TO HAVE FAIR
PLAY.
These eastern fellows are always
.alking about tinkering with the cur
'ency, and yet at the beginning of
very session they make a raid on
'ilver. If they want to war on silver
we will war on rational banks"
"What occasions the complaint about
he hardness of congress touching leg.
slationY"
Il had a conversation with very
ntellis ent Democrat the other evening
the defects of government.
He said truly that the minority gov.
rms; that one man, under the present
'ules, Can control the house by object
ng to the consideration of bill. The
has three rights, and no more,
First, discussion of a bill; second, the
light to offer amendments; third, the
light to have a full house to vote on the
measures. Beyond this the minority
should not be permitted to go. In this
country
NOBODY Is RESPONSIBLE;
congress places the responsibility on
he departments, and the departments
place it on congress. We ought to
lave a cabinet whose members are
entitled to seat on the floor in the
house. If secretary of state did not
lct sQuarely we would vote lack of
confidence in the administration and
le would go out. When we made an
appropriation for the army. if the
money was not properly expended, we
would ask Mr.. Lincoln to explain; if
lie could not we would turn him out
If Office. And 50 with all our cabinet
,flicers. Under such system we would
lave responsibility located somewhere,
md also gentlemen who could explaiR
heir policy to the representatives of
he people. AS it is we are feeding on
he reverence for the constitution of
,ur fathers. That was good enough
or hundred years ago, but
THE PANTS THAT FIT A BOY
won't suit man-they are too small.
When the constitution was adopted we
lad scarcely 100000 of people; we
lave 50,000,000 now. What we want
5 change of government. We want
'ur cabinet officers to have seats on
he floor of the house. We want them
o be responsible to the popular will,
md when they don't act right we
want to turn them out. We want to
the house. Instead of hav-
ng forty committees we want three or
our. First, a committee on ways and
means, to get money into the treasury
econd, a committee on appropriations,
o pay it out; third, committee on
ommerce, banking and currency; and
ne on internal affairs, which will en-