The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1882-01-21

|lTm RECONCILIATION OF elL
VIR.
We stated the other day that the de
monetixation Of silver was noncompliance
BY y trick in Congress. This statemen
was denied by the Inter Ao""fa'"
That journal which has recently shown
lamentable ignorance Of American pc
litic;.l history ASSERTS that 1.-THE act tha'
brought it about was not unknown "a
the public. On the contrary the meas
ure was pending three years !" Con-
pre<s. etc." For the honor OF Montana
journalism we do feel some cOnnpunc-
tons of conscience in exposing the tg-
norance Of the InterA Mountain, but when
journal displays 30 little knowledge Of
recent events as that sheet has lately
evidenced our pity turns to contempt.
We cannot longer throw the mantle OF
charity over it, nor stand by and see the
truth Of history perverted. Ina speech
delivered by Mr.. Vest, on the silver
question, in the United States senate on
the Nth inst, which speech appears In
th.. <ovu,x.xx;.,,.ti .Rrtrn,l Of the 18th
inst. that gentleman in the course Of
his spee.,l., referring I" the persistent
attempts of the Republican party to de-
n,onetizc silver said:
"In 1862, a. I say, they made tie
bonds payable in coin, and the next
thing was to strike out from coin the
silver Of the country. In 1873 they
silver. They were deter
mined to make coin mean gold. They
were determined tO make the bonds Of
the country payable in gold, and there
fore in 1874 they passed the , act which ,
struck down the silver dollar, and
strange ~ it may seem, the act was
passed ycars before the people found out
mat this outrage had been l,erpetratetl
,pO. them. = :: < They deMOne-
[ize.l silver and the people for ii W long ,
Years suffered and bled and tuilesl and J
abOre,l without knowing the outrage
upon them. Distinguished
members of Congress voted for that bill
md were US innocent as children of
what they had done. The President of
he United States who signed it did not
Know that it denlOnetizetl silver. II was
,nown only to few"
General Grant, then President, signed
he bill in February, 1873. Tc show that
;eneral Grant did not know what he
nd done, Mr.. Vest read the following
tier which the ex-I'rcsidcnt wrote to a
Cowtlery-in October fol-
'wing, upon the silver question
II wonder that silver In not already
>n,ing into the market to supply the
efficiency in the circulating medium.
Experience has proved that it :
kes about 81, 'kt), ,NN 1T fractional cur .
'ncy to make the small change nec.s- ,
nv Tor the transaction of the business -.
the country. Silver will gradually /.
ke the place Of this currency, and fur :,
cr. will become tho standard Of values,
hich will I've boarded in u small way.
that this will consume from
M 'HO 'kk' to S:;k', 'Ea,. '.M in time Of this
ecies of our circulating medium.
: Our mines are now producing al
INST unlimited amounts Of silver, and
j. becoming II question, what sllul!
: 10 with it," suggest here Il soll,- =
~ that will answer for some years, to :,
It it in circulation. keeping it there. "
'til it Is fixed, and then will find some >,
her markets. :,
Mr.. Vest, continuing, said: "Ict %
1T came from the President M the u
litt,l States in Oct"l.r, 1873, eight "
'nths after he hal sigmc'l the act -! Il
lruury, 1873, dcmionetizing and striI;- Il
, on, OF the currency the silver dol 90
!, or "d"l:"rof the iathcrs,' as it is J.,
|Mllar'y termed. Aiirrwarl, Mr. Car i:
',, the late !:,l.ten:c.l President Of the Ia
'i,ul States, who voted for this law, -"
Jared publicly that he never knew ~.
rc was amy such provision IN it. Mr.. l..
Hey, Of Pennsylvania, another lead Il,
Mcnlnr of IT," House who voted for ~
declared the sam" thing" And vet, 81
he face al; these facts, in the light OF |
irlci history. the yni... .N,",:'..in as 81.
Is tina. the :.rt that 'rualyil: alo!l, tn. III
mll'tiZ,tiOn Of silver WAS not un- w.
'wn to The public. etc. Has: the I"t'r
'nfuiu the nlaNlin,sS 10 acknowledge "a:
'rr,r ur will it again resort to SOME cN
l'i''c nlMn words to cover its iynur-
e.: =.
~"
E PRESIDENTIAL. RETIRING