The advocate and Topeka tribune., 1893-04-05
rs SILVER BULLION PAID FOR IN
GOLD?

attention to the practice or the treas
ury department Of paying gold di-
reCtly for silver bullion, and of
redeeming treasury notes OF 1890 in
gold, and our friend, Jim M. Kane, OF
Osawatomie, Kansas, writes us in
reference to the matter as follows:
EDITOR ADvocATR:-In your issue of
March %, under the caption, "To Settle All
Difficulties, il ID asserted on the authority
of the late Senator Plumb that the score
tary Of the treasury, when purchasing silver
bullion, issues his checks on the sub'treas-
ury of New York, and when these checks
are presented for payment, they are paid in
gold. If my memory serves me correctly,
Senator Plumb did not make that state
msnt as "positive fact" Senator Teller
refutes the statement in the Congressional
Record under "Msking appropriations for
sundry civil expenses of the government" I"
in the following:
SOME MIssTATEMENTs ABOUT SILVER cERTIFI-
GATES OOBhMOTEDs
II has been a favorite fRlsehood, uttered
and re-uttered in the public press, shat the
ability of the silver certificate to remain in
circulation was owing to the fact that the
government of the United States redeemed
it in gold. ! assert here, with the proof be-
fore me, and with readiness TO controvert
any suggestion from anybody that my
statement is not true, that since the first
sQNnk 10 in IN
hour there never has been one silver certih-
cate exchanged for gold, not one.
The senator from New Jersey (Mr. Mo-
Pherson) tells us that in practice that is 80.
It is not so in practice and never has been.
In the fiPst place the silver certificate 10 by
law payable in silver-it is an order on the
treasury for silver dollars, and the treasury
department is without the authority Of law
10 nav in anything else. Gold was carried
TO the treasury department and exchanged
for silver certificates to the extent Of $685.
OOO,OOO but no man ever yet took a oertih-
cate TO the treasury department and got
gold dollar, nor will he unless some legis-
Iation shall be enacted which shall require
il 60 be redeemed in gold, and that is now
proposed.
propose to put into the Record, 80 that
there may be no mistake about it, the PROOF
of the assertion that make. In the spring
of 1892, little over year ago. addressed
a letter to the treasurer Of the United States
and received from him in reply, the fol-
lowing
TREASURY OF THE UNITED STATES,
Washington, February 13, 1892.
S1R:-I have the honor to acknowledge re-
ceipt Of your favor Of the 18th instant, IN
which you ask whether silver certificates
have been redeemed in gold coin, in what
amount and on what authority.
have to state in reply thereuntO that, 80
far as this office is concerned, 1t has never
been done, nor have any of the sub.treas-
ury offices been authorized to do 80, and no
departmental Instructions have been issued
to that effect. Respectfully yours,
e. Fl. NEBEoKRR,
Treasurer United States.
Hon. II. M. Teller, United States senate.
Mr.. President, last year some resolutions
were sent to the secretary of the treasury by
this body--I do not remember the exact
date and it is immateriRl. The inquiry
was, with others, whether silver dollars OF
silver certificates had been redeemed or ex-
changed for gold, and il such redemption
or exchange had been made, the amount
thereof. On the 22d day Of March. 1892
thesecretary Of the treasury returned this
answer:
Respecting redemptions or exchanges OF
silver dollars and certificates, have TO state
that the department has not redeemed sill
YER dollars or silver certificates in gold OIL
gold certificates, nor has it exchanged silver
dollars or certificates for gold or gold GER
ti6cates."
Later addressed letter to the secretary
Of the treasury. and have here his answer
under date of December Z, 1892, addressed
TO myself, in which he says:
TREASURY DEPARTMENT.,
Washington, December, z, 1892.
MY DEAR SIR-I have your favor of De
cember z. l beg TO inform you that silver
dollars are not in law or in practice eX
nhnnnad for gold or for nAnAr that calls fol