The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1892-05-28

tho world was silver in 1873.
It is useless to consult the worlds
statistics any further for reasons
that could have justified Congress
in destroying half the currency Of
our country by demonetizing silver
in 1879. Figures only laugh at US
for our trouble. and illustrates how
easily we have been led to the lions
den.
It was only to satisfy Wall street
that silver was destroyed of its debt
paying power, that they might con-
tinue to be the recipients Of boun-
ties and special privileges at the
sacrifice of the public, as we will
see further on.
From 1861 down to and includ-
ing the AID Congress the President
and both Houses of Congress were
republican. The results of their
twelve years of class legislation
came nearly breaking the nation in
1873. Industry after industry closed
down during the summer of that
year until September, when the final
crisis came. Nearly all the indus
tries of the country suspended OPP
erations then. Chief of them was
the U. P. Railroad, which gave en-
ployment to hundreds of men and
teams. Thousands of men and
women were thrown out Of employ
ment all over the country, and the
hungry wolf barked at nearly every
mans door. Even Wall street trem-
bled under the pressure of the great
financial strain that was brought to
bear on the country through their
(Wall street )disgraceful operations.
But those monstrous creatures, the
results Of special legislation, did
not suffer long. They telegraphed
the government-President Grant
being the government at that time
for SO, 600 900 to tide them over
their trouble, and they got it. But
we fail to read when a single honest
industry that employed labor was
assisted by Congress at that time.
In concluding the history of
those twelve years of Republican
reign and their results, the records
of which have stained our history,
| will quote a passage on the panic
from Thalheimer's history. Among
others that rushed for sudden for
tunes, he says:
"Reproach fell even upon Senators and
at Washington. A long
series of Investigations resulted in the
clearing of few names, but left others
deeply Swallowed.
"1he management Of New York and
other great cities fell into the hands of
thieves, who robbed the public treasury
aud bribed voters to keep themselves and
tools in power
Now that we have established
who silver's enemies are and how
they have been created and favored
by Congress, at the sacrifice of the
public, from 1854 down to 1874, let
us notice what influence they have
held over Congress ever since 1874.
AS rebuke for their unjust leg
stations, the republican party was
defeated for congressional honors
in the elections of 1874 and 1876,
by overwhelming dem
ocratic majorities. In the presi-
Dental election of 1875 q demo-
cratic president was elected also,
but he was counted out.
During the 45th Congress in 1873,
q pure free coinage bill passed the
lower House, which was largely
democratic, known as the "Bland
Bill" It went to republican Sen
ate, purely free coinage measure,
but it was amended there so as to
limit the coinage of silver to 81, OO0,-
900 per month. The bill was sent
back to the lower House, as amend
ed, with the assurance that it would
receive the Presidents approval un-
der no other form, as the "Admin-
istration was straining every nerve
10 affect an International Monetary
Congress-. The lower House silver
men, seeing the attitude Of tn, Sen
ate towards the bill, and thinking
they had made one step towards
free coinage, took up the measure
as amended and passed it. Hayes
vetoed the bill but Congress made
it law over his head.
AS result Of the Administra-
lions "straining," Commissioners
were appointed to meet general
conference which assem-
bled in Paris during the summer
Of 1873. Another monetary con-
ference was held in 1881. What re-
suited from those two meetings did
not help silver particle. All that
resulted was that an extra expense
was imposed on the public, to pay
The commissioners, which strained"
he nation to bear.
AS rebuke again for their false
pledges to the public, the rcpubli-
IAN party was heavily defeated for
political honors in the presidential
election of 1884. A democratic
president was elected and the House
IF Representatives, the only part of
our national government in which
he direct voice Of the people has