The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-04

month into standard silver dollars after
July lst, 1891; but made e mandatory
on the Secretary of the Treasury to con-
tinue the purchase of 4,5e0,0O0 ounces
Of silver bullion per month and to coin
up the silver bullion purchased under
tue provisions of this Act, as much as
may be necessary to provide for the re-
demption of the treasury notes issued
and paid. out for the silver bullion so
purchased, and any gain arising from
paid into the Treasury.
In the face of this mandatory law,
commanding the Secretary of the Treas
ury, after July lst, 1891, to coin as much
of the silver bullion in the Treasury
into standard silver dollars as may be
necessary to provide for the redemp-
tion of the Treasury notes issued and
paid out for the same, President Cleve-
land arbitrarily declared "every note
of the government on presentation will
be paid in gold," and his Secretary of
the United States Treasury, Mr.. Carlisle,
has been so paying them. With 1885,
16l, 1916 fine ounces Of silver bullion in
the Treasury, equal to more than $780,
100000 standard silver dollars, and with
S121 ,217, SIT of Treasury notes outstand-
ing against it, which notes are CONF
manded to be redeemed in silver coins,
President Cleveland stopped the coin
age of standard silver dollars and is
selling government bonds for gold and
is redeeTning in gold, the treasury notes
issued and paid out for silver bullion.
He is doing this in direct violation of
positive law. He is destroying every
industry in the land and will reduce
the people to want and the nation
to bankruptcy if be is not stopped in
his mad and reckless career. BY this
course be has thrown three millions of
men out of employment on whose labor
ten millions of people are dependent
for bread and has caused the incipient
stages of revolution in sixteen States.
The following is the Act of September
"Be it enacted by the Senate and
House of Representatives of the United
States of America, in Congress assem-
bled. That from and after the passage
of this Act the coinage Of the three dol
lar gold piece, the one dollar gold piece
and the three cent nickel piece be, and
| the same is hereby prohibited and the
pieces named shall not be struck or
issued by the mint of the United
States.
"Sec. 2. That as fast as the said coins
shall be paid into the Treasury of the
| United States they shall be withdrawn
from circulation and be recoined in
other denominations of coin.
''Sec g. That all laws and parts flaws
in conflict with this Act are hereby re-
pealed."
The above Act shows that the gold
dollar about which we have heard so
much does not exist and has not existed
for more than three years. All of them
| have been withdrawn from circulation
and recoined into other denominations
of coins. It was not wanted. The Act
of March 3, 1S49, gave it birth. The Act
of September 26, 1890 quietly laid it
away. II lived only forty-one years
| while the standard silver dollar, the
peoples money, has existed for GEN.
turies and will continue to exist while
metallic money is used. Without the
silver dollar and its fractional parts we
would have no change for the transac-
ton of business.
The Act of November, 1893, passed
by the extraordinary session of Con-
gress, repealed Only the purchase clause
of the Act of l4th of July, 1890. BY
these two Acts the government has
ceased to purchase silver bullion and to
coin it into standard silver dollars.
The purchase by the govern nment of
silver bullion and having it struck and
5rt GN1l nd re
tional parts aud into standard silver
dollars under the Acts Of February y,
1873, February IS, 1878, and IA OF July,
| 1890, did not any more impair the
right of every citizen, the owner of
silver bullion, from depositing his
silver bullion at the mints and having
it struck and coined into bars, trade
dollars and standard silver dollars than
did the Act of February 81, 1853, when
the government first purchased silver
bullion and had it struck and coined
into half dollars, quarter dollars, dimes
and half dimes. The mints at that
time and after were open to every
citizen. Coinage was free and un-
| limited.
A remarkable spectacle is DOW pre-
sented. The Secretary of the Treasury
backed by the President of the United
States has denied the right of citizens,
ow ners of silver bullion, to deposit it at
tine mints and have it struck and coined
| into bars and standard silver dollars.
The uints are idle, while every busi-
ness in the nation is famishing for
money. There is screw badly loose.
| The mints were established to coin the
money metals of the nation in the
interest of the people and not to be
closed in the interest of Shylocks. With
the passage of the Act of 18th February,
1878, began the woes of the people of
the nation. It was conceived IN
iniauity, it was rushed through Con-
gress BY fraud. 1t is fraud. All
lawyers know every Act accomplished
through fraud is utterly null and void.
This Act is nullity. When all is re-
| duced in the last analysis to first princi
pies we have under the laws on the
statute books free and unlimited coin
age of silver, Is $500 of silver to l of
| gold, with the standard silver dollar
4l2 1-2 grains, go fine, the legal tender
qualities of which never have been
| impaired by any law at any time the
money unit, the dollar of account of
the nation. We affirm that no judge
can write a valid decree against the
conclusions drawn. The laws should
be impartially executed. How are we
to have it done? The sacred writers
tell us if a people would have good
| government, wise laws impartially
administered, they must select as
rulers liable mea who love God, speak
the truth and hate avarice." This year
all the members of the lower house of
Congress and twenty Uuited States
I Senators will be elected.
The highest duty of every citizen is
to exercise the greatest care in selecting
those who are TO make our laws and to
execute them. If unworthy men are
selected the people have no one to
blame but themselves. They are the
ones who suffer. Respectfully.
ELLISON S. KEITT.