The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-07-09

has perhaps been greater than that which
1t has in recent times extended to any
other leader, and geographical considera-
tions alone have deferred it from confer
ring upon you its highest expression of
confidence.
HALTED ON A VITAL ISSUE.
Upon one issue only, but upon the
greatest issue that ever affected the lib
erty and prosperity of a people, have you
ever hesitated. Even then your hesita-
ton was preceded by action most vigor-
GUS and eminently characteristic of your
better self. 1t is upon that subject that
l, your humble disciple, now presume to
address you.
The discovery by the people of the
United States that their senators ard
representatives had in 1873 demonetized
the silver money of the country, caused
profound sensation. Universal denunci
alton, followed by immediate effort to
undo the great wrong, divided the public
attention with the bitterness engendered
by factional strife and reconstruction
outrages. No convention of any political
party between Maine and California,
which referred to the subject at all, dared
to do so in other than terms of unquaH
fed condemnation.
Immediately upon the organization of
the Forty fifth Congress, the committee
on coinage, of which Mr.. Bland was
chairman, began the preparation of bill
to restore to silver its right TO free mint
age. The Senate was not less prompt in
its action. On Dec. 6, a. D. 1877, Sena-
tor Matthews of Ohio, submitted con-
current resolution which read as follows:
SENATOR MATTHEW'S RESOLUTION
Whereas, BY the act entitled Gan act to
| strengthen public credit approved March IS,
1862 1t was provided and declared that the faith
| of the United States was thereby solemnly
| pledged to the payment in coin or it's equivalent
| of all the Understanding obligations OF the
| United States. except in cases where the law
| authorizing The issue of sucn obligations had
expressly provided that the same night be paid
in lawful money, or other currency than gold
and silver; and
| Whereas, All the bonds of the United States
| authorized to be issued by the act entitled ''An
| act to authorize the resunding OF the National
| debt" approved July IA, 1870, by the terms of
| said act were declared to be redeemable in coin
| of the then present standard value, bearing
interest payable semi-annually in such coin
| and
/ Whereas, All bonds OF the United States au-
thorized to be issued under the act entitled IAN
act to provide for the resumption of specie pay
ments,' approved Jan. IA, 1879, are required
to be OF the description of bonds of the United
] States described in the said act of Congress
| approved July II, 1870, entitled IAN act TO
authorize the refanding OF the National debit
and
Whereas, AT the date OF the passage of said
act Of Congress last aforesaid, to-wit, the 18th
day of July, 1870 the coin of the United States
OF standard value of that date included silver
dollars of the weight OF 4l2H grains each, as de
clared by the act approved Jan. is, 1887, emit
an act establishing a mint and regulating the
coins OF the United States, to be legal ten
der OF payment according to their nominal value
Tor any sum whatever; therefore be it
Resolved, By The Senate (the House of Rep
reSentatives concurring therein) that all the
bonds OF the United States issued under the
said acts OF Congress hereinbefOre recited are
payable principal and interest at the option Of
the government of the United States in silver
dollars of the coinage OF the United States con
tanning 41215 grains each of standard silver; anC
that to restore to its coinage such silver colnl
as legal tender In payment OF said bonds
principal and interest is not in violation of thu
public faith nor in derogation Of the rights o
the public creditors
On Jan. %, 1873, this resolution passed
the Senate by vote of 43 to %. Three
days afterward it passed the House with,
out debate by 1S9 to 79. Your vote is
recorded in the affirmative, together with
such other Democrats as Bragg, Cox,
Morrison, Springer, and your Ipresen1
colleague OF the navy department, Hon
Hilary a. Herbert of Alabama.
You and Mr.. Herbert also voted for the
original Bland bill providing for the free
and unlimited coinage of silver, and to-
gether you successfully resisted al
amendments prior to its passage by tn;
House. You acquiesced in the Senate
amendments because they could not b.
avoided. On Feb. 81, 1873, you took oc
cSsion to express yourself on the genera
subject of the bill. Your language vi
brated then with the intensity of truth
today it sounds like the inspired word
of the great Hebrew prophet. You said
cARLIsLE's PROPHETIC WORDS.
81 know that the worlds stock of pre-
cious metals is none too large, and Sc
no reason to apprehend that it will eve
become SO. Mankind will be fortunate
indeed, if the annual production of gol
and silver coin shall keep pace with tn
: annual increase OF population, commerce
and industry. According to my view @
the subject, the conspiracy which seem
to have been formed here and il Europ
to destroy by legislation and otherwis
| from three sevenths to one-half of tn
metallic money of the world is the mos
gigantic crime of this or any other age
The contamination of such schem
would ultimately entail more misery upo
the human race than all the wars, pesti
: lence and famine that ever occurred i
: the history of the world. The absolut
, and inStaptaneous destruction OF half tn
entire movable property of the world, in
g Guiding houses, ships, railroads and a
g other appliances for carrying on com
I MERGE, while it would be felt more sensi
e bly, at the moment, would not prodnc
anything like the prolonged distress an
disorganization of society that must in
evitably result from the permanent ami
hilation of one-half of the metallic none
T in the world.''
0 Record Forty-fif Congress, volume
appendix Al.
Your public life was consistent wit
n this sublime conviction up to a compare
lively recent period. When death de
prived humanity of its great champion
Q the late Senator Beck, whose loft
II declarations in favor of the money of th
I, people. made in reply to the tremendor
y efforts of a Democratic administration I