The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-23
Bolstered Up bv Falsehood.

The number of falsehoods that have
been used to bolster up the arguments in
behalf of silver are so numerous that it
would be a serious task to expose all of
them. And even when the falsehoods have
been exposed the silverites have not
always ceased to use them One of the
falsehoods that has been made to play a
conspicuous part in the present silver dis
cussion is that an English tinancier,
named Seyd, came to this country in 1873,
and with $500, 900, collected from money
lenders in London, bribed the American
congress to demonetize silver.
A few days ago the MORNING NEWS
called attention to a speech made by
Senator Hoar, who read letter
showing beyond a doubt that there
was no truth whatever in the
Seyd story. Senator Sherman also, in
a speech in Senate, declared that
the story had no foundation whatever in
fact. The senator called particular at
tention to an affidavit made by a Colorado
silverite in which it was asserted by the
maker of the affidavit, that he had met Mr.
Seyd in London, just before the latter's
death, and that Mr.. Seyd had told him
that the story about his having bribed the
American congress was true. The sena-
tor produced satisfactory evidence that
the Colorado man must have known that
he was not telling the truth when he
made the affidavit.
AS a matter of fact Mr.. Seyd was never
in this country after 1856, and he was not
an opponent of silver. He was a bimetal-
list, and spent a great deal of time in
trying to work up sentiment in favor of
silver
The Evening Post, day or two ago,
published letter from a son of Mr..
Seyd, showing beyond all question the
falsity of the bribery story The letter
is as follows:
Sir-Statements have been circulated for
some time past in the press of the United
States thatthe late Mr.. Ernest Seyd went to
Washington in 1872 at the instance of DOW
erful clique of tinancierS with El0OOO) in
order to brIhe members OF congress to vote
for the decentralization of silver l trust YOU
Will allow me to assure YOU that the story
| is an entire fabrication, Mr.. Seyd never hav-
| ing been IN the States since 1856 The alb.
! surdity OF the myth is the more apparent as
/ my father had always been an ardent cham.
| pion Of silver, and was the first to take up the
! silver cause in England against The prevailing
! doCtrinism here, as his numerous works on
/ the subject viii show
| The following extracts are interesting and
occur in the Decline of Prosp Gritty, 1878. pp.
! 10 and b:
In the United States kind of bimetallism
! is now being attempted. Unsupported by
| other nations, exposed to the play of hostile
! factions. this attempt will tun out q failure
in the United states the silver dollar has
| again been introduced, but 1t is quite evident
/ that their bimctalllSm cannot be maintained
| without much more effective support"
Surely, sir, the silver party in the states are
! not well advised in spreading these baselesS
| rumors and sacrificing one of their best
| friends, l remain, yours truly.
ERNEST SEYD,
80 Lombard street. London, Z. G.
Having no sound arguments to support
| their position the silverites have not hes
/ itated to resort to all sorts of means to
] Impress upon the public that there is
merit on their side of the silver contro-
versy. They have steadily lost ground,
/ however, until the great majority of the
| people now see that free silver coinage,
/ upon the terms demanded by the silver
ties, means silver recommendation, and its
/ adoption would be productive of the
| gravest evils.