Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-10-23

! fia,sed the senate Of the Unitel States
there was even with the senate amend.
ineDts added, not one line which affected
silver adversely rs coin metal OF the
: country. In no debate on, or explnna-
ton offered either Ia the house or senate,
had one word ever been said or sngges-
ton made that free coinage should be
sir. Kelley Of Pennsylvania was chair.
man Of the house committee which Ne
I ported the bill of 1913 He said:
In connection with the charge that /
advocated the bin which denonetized
the standard silver dollar. ] say that,
though the chairman Of the committee
on coinage, 1 was ignorant Of the fact
that u would demouetize the silver dollar,
/ or OF its dropping the silver dollar from
our system OF coins as were those dis
tingnished senators. Alessrs. Blaine and
Noorhces, who were then members OF
the house. and each of whom, few
days since, Intercepted the other; Did
you know u was dropped when the bill
passed. No said SIR. Blaine. Did
) you know thatT said MIR. Voorhees,. l do
/ not think mat there were three members
! Of the house that knew it, doubt
whether Mr.. Hooper. who IN my absence
! from the committee on silver coinage and
J attendance on the committee of ways
/ and means, managed the bill, knew H.
l ! say this IN justice to him. ~ Congress
ional Record. Vol. I. part .. 45th Con-
I gross, second session, page Gl5.
Mr.. NOorhees--i want 20 ask my friend
/ from Maine, who ! am glad 10 designate
I in that way whether ] may call him as
! one more witness to the fnct that it wac
, not generally known whether silver was
I demOnetizedI Did lie know. as speaker
I OF the house. presiding nc the time. that
| the silver dollar WIS demonetiZed in the
] bill to which he alludes;
Mr. Blline-l did not know anything
I len ha at u1 A. | lfa
, said before, little was known or cared
I about the subject u.aughtcr1 And
I now | should like to exchange questions
| with the senator from Indiana, who was
! then ON the floor and whose business, far
more than mine. It was 10 know. because
! by the designation Of the house, was 10
i put the question, the senator from In
/ diana. then on the floor of the house.
with his powers MS a debater. was to
4 unfold them TO the house. Did he know !?
Mr.. Voorhees, frankly say that
| did Ot.--Congr.ssional Record. Feb. 10
| 1879. page 1903.
THE bill deinonetizing silver never
/ was understood by either house Of con.
| gress. / say that with full knowledge Of
| tile facts. NO newspaper reporter, and
/ they are the most vigilant men / ever
saw In obtaining information, discovered
| that 1t had been done senator Beck
/ Of Kentucky. Vol. Z, part IL, 18th con-
gress, second session, page 30.
| On the contrary the bin contained the
| following clause:
That the chutge for mintnr gold bull
lion should be . per cent. and e silver
bullion It's actual cost.
THAT silver coins other than trade
dollars should be paid out nj the several
| mints and at the assay Office In New
| York city in exchange for gold coins AZ
| par. "-Congreselonal Record. page dI3,
| third edition, l2d congress.
| The bill Ms IL passed the house had
| been taken up IN the senate aud passed
| with amendments 1t was reported TO
| the house with the senate amendments.
| The house non-concurred In the senate
amendments aud conference between
| the two houses on the bill and senate
| amendments followed. Three managers
on the part Of the senate and three on
| the part Of the house Were appointed
| This was the usual conference committee
and these SIX gentlemen, within the prl-
| yacy of a committee room Of the capitol
added the fntef,h words which struck
down the free coinage of silver and
brought this country 10 the monometallic
| gold basis.
The words, MIR. Speaker. thus added,
which accomplished ibis remarkable re
suit, were only eleven in number and
We're these;
"'Anl no deposit of silver for other
coinage shall be received
The report Of the conference was as
follows:
THAT the house reeede from It's die.
agreement TO the ninth amendment of
the senate and agree TO the same, with
nu amendment as follows:
Strike out the words proposed TO be
| inserted, with the remu4ncr of the section,
and In lieu thereof iusert the follow
lug:
deposit the same AZ any mint 60 be
formed into bars or into dollars of the
weight Of APO grains troy, designated ia
this net as trade dollars, and NO deposit
Of silver for other coinage shall be re-
ceivcd" Soc Congressional Record, page
100. tltrd session I2d congress.
NO gentleman In either house who
| was "A member of the cOnlrcsR committee,
nor anyone else, called attention to this
amendment, or stated what its effect
would be. The report of a conference
committee does not always command
close attention II is rarely supposed
that any new matter has been taken w
hy IL. The object OF appointing 4 CON
ference committee X to effect compro-
mise between the two houses on matters
which have been introduced. explained
and debated. aud upon which the two
bodies have failed TO agree.
I'm this case neither the house nor the
senate had referred the subject OF free
coinagc to this committee, and conse-
qucntly no one suspected thht lhelr re
port would touch the question. When the
report was read from the clerks desk.
and the vote was taken adopting the
same. II is likely that no one in either
house, outside Of the committee Of CON
ference, knew that the report repealed
free coinage.
II venture the assertion, Mr., Speaker,
that at no period in the history of any
country. IN ancient or modern timee,
was 30 brief sentence added TO any
provision of legislation which has had
the momentous effect that these eleven
words have had throughout this country
aud the world. Those words, added by
conference committee, and passcd by
two houses without debate had more OF
Significance, of Importance TO the
people of the United States tlian all tn.
cnaotments Of the law by that congress
at It's two sessions, They were words
which reyolutionised the monetary Eys.
TEN of the government and affected the
welfare OF people even In remoIe lands. "
STATE plrNIrpNTIARIrs