The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1892-08-19
CARLISLES ANSWER
TO JOHN A. LYME, ESQ.,, OF HENDER-
SON, kY., WHO WANTED TO
KNOW WHETHER
Kentucky's Distinguished senator Ever
Favored Free Coinage of silver.
Bi.Metalism IN a Nutshell.

JOhN n. LYME, Esq, f1enuersOn, ny.
Dear Sir: Your favor, in which you
ask me whether / have been heretofore
in favor of the free coinage of silver,
and whether my We've upon that subject
have undergone any change, was duly
received, but have been unable to find
time TO answer until now.
The answer to your question depends
largely upon what you mean by "the
free coinage of silver" II you mean the
policy urged by many, under which the
Government of the United States would
be compelled by law to receive sixty
eight cents worth Of silver bullion when
presented by the owner and coin II at
the expense of all the people of the
country, and compel the people by law
to receive the coin as the equivalent of
100 cents, my answer is that ] am not
now, and never have been in favor Of 1t.
l stand now where my lamented prede-
cessor, Mr. Beck, and stood together In
1873, when the so.called Bland Allison
bill" wa passed by Congress, under
which the Secretary Of the Treasury was
required to purchase and coin monthly
not less than 100000 nor more than
a, OO0, 900 worth Of silver bullion. When
that bill passed the House Of Represen.
tatives it provided for the free and un-
limited coinage of the silver dollar, but
after it went to the Senate Mr.. Beck Of
fered an amendment which provided that
the Secretary Of the Treasury should
purchase at the market price each month
not less than $4,000, 900 worth of silver
bullion, or as much more rs could be
coined at the mint, the seigniorage to be
paid into the Treasury, and that when
ever the bullion could not be purchased
at less than par with legal-tender notes,
any owner of silver bullion might deposit
it for coinage on the same terms rs gold
was deposited. Speaking upon this sub
ject on the Sd day of February, 1878,
Mr.. Beck said:
ain the second place, desire. so long as
silver bullion can be purchased for less
than par In legal.tender notes, that the peo-
pie of the United States shall have the ben
eft of the seigniorage or gain, and that IL
shall not go TO private individuals"
But he said he wanted silver to be on
the same basis as gold whenever the bull
ion should reach par with the legal-tender
notes. On February IA, 1878, Mr.. Beck
said:
~ spoke fully on this question before,
and said then that did not want the people
of the United States to feel that the Senate
of the United States had allowed any man
in California, Nevada or elsewhere, who had
an immense amount of bullion, 10 take pos
session of the minis Of the United States,
aud make seigniorage Of six or eight per
cent; and especially ] did not want the
German government, or any other foreign
power or citizen, 10 take possession of our
minis and have the benefit Of that sc ignior.
age, when we could obtain and apply IL for
the benefit Of the taxpayers 81 the country.
In the coinage Of our fractional currency,
as shown by the report OF the Director OF
the Mint, we bought enough bullion for
$34, SOC, 600 to make thirty.nine million and
odd dollars Of fractional currency, and the
Government 1.-THE agent of the people) oh
tanned IS, 50O,0 900 Of seigniorage, which re.
lieved us Of that much other taxation. As
long as there il such difference feel that
the people ought 10 have IL, and not any
individual in Europe or America, or any
other government than our own"
On the same day he said:
81 desire to come to the house bill at the
earliest possible moment, but as long as
silver bullion Is six, eight or ten per cent.
below gold, do not want this Congress to
sO vote as TO give any private citizen, or any
foreign nation, or foreign corporation that
seigniOrage."
Before this he had said:
81 want the bill In some shape. I will
vote for the House bill. prefer the amend.
ment have offered, but IL that In not right,
vote IL down, and will vote for the House
bill pure and simple IL ] can, aud IL the
California miners, the Nevada miners, and
all the combinations Of bulliOnists make
four or five millions q year, aud the people
have to carry II, II 10 not my fault"
Al the time Mr.. Beck made these re.
marks silver was only eight or ten per
cent. below gold. while now II Is about
forty five per cent. below gold, and II IL
was not right and just to the people then
TO donate a seigniorage Of eight or ten
per cent 70 the combinations Of bull
ionist," II certainly can not be right and
Just now TO donate over four or Ave
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