Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1893-07-14
CAN STATES COIN SILVER
MONEY!

peared the Denver News has received
very many communications urging
that the Colorado legislature should
authorize the coinage of silver into
money and declare it a legal tender.
The Dallas (Texas) Times Herald,
sterling free coinage, in its issue
OF the 4th instant, strongly recon-
mends that league between Texas
and other silver States shall be form
ed-for each to coin silver money
making it legal tender, and through
the comfy of States recognize the
coinage of each as legal tender in the
others. The timid trader may say"
it continues, "this will cut off com
msrcial Intercourse cannot buy
in the markets of the world. Then
quit buying and start buying factories
at home, A thousand factories will
work no harm TO Texas"
The News comments on this as fol-
lows
ihS iStSoh'iiS VI IhC
Herald is as follows: The congress
of the United States must seek a
warrant and authority for its every
act within the lines laid down by the
federal constitution. With State
legislature the rule is the reverse.
Unless inhabited by the State federal
constitutions or restrained by solemn
treaties, there is practically no Hmi
to the power of State legislature.
1t is as omnipoten as the parliament
of Great Britain. 1t then says the |
federal constitution does not inhabit |
State legislature from authorizing
the State to coin silver into money /
and declaring it legal tender, and
quotes the provision of the federal
constitution that mo State shall
make anything but gold and silver
coin tender or payment of debts,
urging that this negative is the equiv
alent of authority to States to make
silver coin of their own creation legal
tender money.
eff the News could discover any
authority in the federal constitution
for what has been so frequently sug-
gested it would without hesitation
urge that the State adopt it. 1t
would enable Colorado and the West,
in spite of Congress and an adverse
President, to keep our mines open .
and supply them with an abundance
OF the best money in the world. But, I
alas, the re is no such authority, as a {
little investigation will sconvince the
most ardent supporter of the plan.
1.-The federal constitution provides v
that the congress shall have power to !
coin money and regulate the value g
thereof. This means that congress o
and congress only possesses that d
power, and State legislatures can ex-
ercise no such power. Indeed the
further expressly pro
Vides that mo State shall coin
money; emit bills of credit or make 1
anything but gold and silver coin a 4
tender III payment Of debts.
''The States are prohibited from d
making anything but gold and silver
,oin legal tender. This does not
mean that they make gold or silver a
egal tender, but gold or silver coin, -
Since congress only may coin money
nd the States are prohibited from
Icing so, it follows the coin a State "a
nay make legal tender is the coin "
authorized by Congress. The gold &
nd silver coin of the United States :
re already legal tender under the
cts authorizing their coinage. There
ore an act of the State Legislature to Ch
he same effect would be superfiuous.
There is but one way in which
he State legislature can utilize I'M
olned silver as money. If congress
hall repeal the ten per cent tax on O
he circulation of private banks the -
legislature might authorize silver
'ulllon under proper regulations to !
De held as bank reserves to secure
heir circulation.
eff Congle ss should destroy the
egal tender quality of the standard
lollar it would become grave ques- ~
ion whether State Legislatures might re-,
ot, in spite of Congress, make them 70,
sgal tender for every purpose within =
he several States. Although Con-
ress might demonetize them, yet III
oula they not remain silver coin
lthin the meaning of the Constitu> a.
or, and are not States permitted by