The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1892-10-28
WEAVER'S PLEA.
Eloquent Speech in Behalf Of the White
Metal..The Crime OF Decentralization
Denounced as Base Scheme.
WEAVRR'S SPEECH ON THE WARNER BILL
Great Speech Of General James B.
Weaver on the Warner Silver Bin
While In Congress.

Tho opposition are representing that
Weaver, Jerry Simpson and the peO-
pies party are anfriendly to silver and
are fiat moneyists. The following
speech made by General Weaver in
congress May 9, 1879, ought to silence
such falsehood,
Mr.. Speaker-The discussion Of the
system of finance for great govern
ment is an important matter. 1t was
remarked once by Alexander Hamilton
that a government without an ade-
quate system of finance is an object of
pity. l have not been highly inn
pressed with the manner in which the
gentlemen who oppose this bill have
discussed this question. They seem
to regard the bill as an unwar anted
instrusion upon the rights of some-
body, Thew attack it alternately with
levity, sarcasm and abuse. 1t is a
question that ought to be discussed in
the lighC of the constitution, the
necessities OF our people, and the pres
eht condition of public affairs.
Two facts strike my mind with great
force at the threshold of this discus
sion: First, silver and gold have been
used as money from the foundation of
human society, so far as we have any
history. The next, that there is about
an equal amount of gold and silver
bullion in the world. Now, how any
gentleman can oppose thorough re-
monetization of silver unless he first
takes the position that there is too
much metal money in the world can
not understand. The annual gold
product throughout the earth Mt this
present time is about 100000, 900,
(snd is rapidly declining) barely
enough, if we could command it all,
to pay the annual interest of the bon
ded debt of the United States alone.
If we are to demonetize silver, and
have no power to create legal tender
paper money, it will be readily per-
ceived that the proposition is to hitch
the car of American progress and
American civilization to that decreas-
ing product, and this will lead US Into
inevitable decline and pauperism.
The proposition to my mind is un-
tenabie and unreasonable. The con-
stitutiOn provides that congress shall
have power to "coin money, regulate
the value thereof and of foreign coin. ="
Again, by the same article and section
of the constitution, congress is clothed
with power Ito regulate commerce
with foreign nations. and among the
several states and with Indian tribes. "
The same instrument again provides
that congress shall have power to ad-
NIT "new states into this union. ~
These grants Of power are affirmative
and express.
Under the power to admit new
states into the union, can congress
expel states from the unionP BY
virtue of the authority to regulate
commerce with foreign nations and
between the states, can congress pro-
hibit all commerce with foreign gov
ernments and between the statesP
Certainly no one will claim such ex-
traordinary construction. Then how
can congress under all express grant
of power, Ito coin money, regulate
the value thereof, and of foreign
coin," derive the right to prohibit tie
coinage of either gold or silver?
To prohibit coinage is to exercise a
power just the opposite to that con-
fered, and Is the destruction of the
power named in the constitution.
demand of gentlemen who oppose this
bill, that they shall tell us where con-
gress drives power to prohibit coinage.
1t strikes me that gentlemen who hold
to the opinion that the government has
no power to issue legal tender paper
money in time of peace place them.
selves in dilemma here, for if con-
gress may prohibit the coinage and
circulation of silver as lawful money
they may lawfully place the same re.
strictiOns upon gold, and here is an
other method of starving the govern
ment to DEATH" [Laughter.]
lhold, therefore, that the law passed
in 1873 was unconstitutional. 1t was
claimed upon the stump and claimed
in congress in the discussion of the
bill that passed, partially remonetizing
silver, that the demonetizing of it was
an accident, and was not Intentional
II that excuse is the true one, the pro.
position to reinstate silver as legal
tender money in this country upon the
footing that IL occupied from the foun.
datiOn of the government down TO 1873
would not have been resisted. The
animus of the demonstration of silver
is disclosed by the opposition which it:
reconciliation has met with and il
now meeting with. In reality and in
truth, silver was demonetlzed in the
Interest," as l shall show; of certain
class Of men in this and other coun
tries.
1t is very remarkable when yoU
come to read the history of the de.
Ihonetization Of metal money, that the
metal which is the most abundant !.
always demouetized. After the dis