Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1893-09-26

Mr.. Speaker, were l able to vote
upon the pending bill l would
vote to repeal a part Of an act, APP
proved July IA, 1890, entitled can
act directing the purchase Of sill
yer bullion and the issue Of treas
ury notes thereon" and substitute
it 10y an act providing for the free
coinage Of both gold and silver,
without discriminating against
either metal, upon the present ra-
ito. This is, in substance, the
distinct declaration made in the
Chicago democratic platform of
1892. On this platform the Presi-
dent was not only nominated and
elected chief magistrate of the
United States, but every demo-
cratic member Of this house was
also nominated and elected upon
this platform to their present po-
sitions in this house Of represent
atives. Consequently, we are com
PEELED to keep our word and prom
1ses to our constituents, who will
hold us to strict accountability for
the non-fulfllment of the same.
The further demonetization of sill
yer will make all debts, public and
private, harder to pay by cutting
off half the means Of payment.
Silver has not only been the mon
ey of the people for ages, but it
was the only money the people of
New Mexico, whom l have the
honor to represent upon this floor,
had for centuries prior to its an
nexation to the United States.
Gold and silver have been used
as coin metals from time imme-
mortal. Historians tell us thai
during the reign of Rameses the
Great, In a royal palace in Egypt
there were depicted upon it walls
in glorious colors the offerings tC
the gods of the products of the
kings mines amounting to more
than thirty millions of u cur
rency, thus showing hat Egypt il
her pelmiest days and at the
heighth Of her civilization USED
both gold and silver.
The country of Europe most
productive of precious metals, but
especially Of silver, in early times
was SPAN.
M. Chevalier calls the Spanish
dollar "an universal coin" Yor
all know that after the bold Ma
politan had discovered a worlC
whose mountains were gold an(
silver, a party of ambitious Span
iards, headed by Cortes, landed a
Vera Cruz, Mexico, during tn,
reign of the Aztec ruler, Monte
yuma, and proceeded to capture
the historical and beautiful capita
of the Anahuac empire; they sue
ceeded in their undertaking an,
they found there, in the temple
and outside of them, real treas
ures, consisting mainly of silver
which metal was destined to forr
the greater part of the New World
production during the next tire
centuries, as some great writer
have so wisely stated.
Coronado, one Of Cortes's ga.
liant generals who accompanie
him in his expedition to this cor
tinent, convinced by what the In
dams had told him of the Terrific
ny which is today called New Me2
leo, made a trip to that section c
the country the first part of tn
sixteenth century, accompanied b
several as ambitious Spaniards a
he himself was. A young prizes.
Fray Juan de Padilla, accompar
led Coronado, not for the pleasuI
of seeing the country or with tn
object of obtaining a fortune, bJ
for the noble purpose Of civilizin
the Indians. This young man r,
ceiyed the crown Of martyrdom
the hands of the Quivirans; at IL
hands Of the very people he WI
trying to save and Civilize. b,
fore he was killed he wrote seve
al letters to a chief priest at Puel
10, Mexico, in which he speaks
glowing terms of "large bricks
silver that he saw everywhere
went about those pueblos" linear
ing New Mexico).
New Mexico is, and has alway
been, a silver producing countr.
1t was a mining country when I'll
Spaniards found Santa Fe, j
1905, for the very first thing thu
called the Spaniards' attention WI
lote 80 ~,o,o mile >eIIaJ NIT