The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-02-25

in circulation, and has equal pur-
chasing rower, but various causes
have enhanced the value OF gold,
chief among which was the action of Ger
many, which after exporting 81, 100000
in gold from France. decided to demons
tie silver, and having melted all the ST.
Yer coin In circulation in the empire into
bullion, threw over 10000 900 pounds of
pure silver On the market The bonds
holders seeing that gold as compared
with silver was going to be for some
time the most valuable metal, began an
organized effort to accomplish the de-
monitization of silver in this country,
which they accomplished surreptitiously
in 1874 by having it incorporated in the
report of the commission appointed to
revise the laws of the United States, and
the report of the commission was adopts
ed and the denomination of silver ac>
CotupiisuCu WltuOut INC huON CuSC VI
congress or the president that the law in
relation to silver had been changed by
the commission. Other important ques>
tons occupying the pubic's attention
notably the great presidential contest of
1S76-the silver question received but
little agitation until 1873, when in re-
spouse to the demand of the people, es-
pecially the people of the west, silver
was remontized. and what is known as
the Bland bill was passed in 1878, which
instructed the secretary of the treasury to
purchase not less than S2.000,0 900 nor
more than 81 5000 of silver bullion
every month and coin the same into sill
yer dollars which should contain 4124
grains each. Under this act up to the
present time there has been coined some
S215 900, 000 more than SO, DOC. 600 Of
which are however boarded up in the
treasury, when they should be paid ou'
in redemption of the bonds which are
payable At the option of the government,
and the interest on the bonds stopped
the bondholders compelled to fad Other
Investments for theii money, whereby
trade would be stimulated and the people
benefited.
But the hondhollers say that the,
should not be compelled to accept tht
present silver dollar because it is dis
honest dollar They can not produce
single tenable argument in support o
their position Pray when did it becom
II dishonest dollar? Was it when the re
nowned founders of the republic decide
that the silver dollar was the unit o
valueH Was it when Hamilton, Jeffer
son, Madison, Morrison aud their asso
GATES in 1892. made The silver dollar, con
taining but 37l4 grains, the unit 0
value? No doubt this outCry against til
honesty of the silver dollar now in circu
ulation is subterfuge Oh the part of III
moneyed power to deceive the people
The silver dollar as now coined, is a
honest dollar; it contains as much sivt
as ever carried in any dollar, and NOR
than is used by most of the other gre,
nations in the world. Take France fl
illustration. which floats over $4,000
900 of silver at par with gold, and 81
coins her money at the ratio of 153
silver to one of gold, where we col
ours at the ratio of Is to one
What the people demand and have tt
right to demand, is that when congre:
has coined money and regulated the valu
thereof, in pursuance of the powi
vested in them by the constitution al
contracts are based upon it, that the
contracts shall not be construed again
the interests of the people, and in the ii
terest of the moneyed power and Il
representatives of the people who pc
nit or are parties to any such mOvemen
will deserve and receive the condemna,io
of the people
OTHER SPEAKERS
Messrs Robert Bennett and Wn
McEniry followed, both discussing th
' question exhaustively after sustaining Il
resolutions.
A SURPRISE,