Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-04-25
For the SPECTATOR
Money! Question at Paris,

The silver question has been handled with
singular remissness by the government of the
| United States, if we are to credit the state
| ments of Mr.. Grosebeck, the chief speaker of
| the American delegation to the International
Conference convened at Paris, Aug 10th,
1878, at the invitation of the American goy-
eminent Mr.. G. said ''In 1873, in law
which did not very accurately carry out its
purposes, silver was made to disappear
through inadvertence rather than intention
ally by an omission to say anything about it.
As matter of fact the silver standard was
found to have been suppressed = : y No
newspaper had discussed the question public
opinion, by no means enlightened, was, so to
speak, taken unawares, and great surprise was
felt when, a short time after the law was
passed, the change was fully perceived"
s'In 1878, the legislator, better advised, de-
sired to re-establish in its integrity the ira
ditional money system of the United States
he put silver upon the footing of equality
with gold, and in order the better to secure for
the future the simultaneous use of the two
metals, brought about the convocation of this
conference. The law which has been passed
this year is the due expression of public opin-
| ion. In voting it, Congress has shown itself,
| let it be well understood, the faithful inter.
prefer of the sentiments and of the wishes OF
the American people. Never has law so i'm
portant been passed by majority so great as
that which passed the law remonetizing
silver"
THE reconciliation of silver is, therefore
| in no sense an enterprise undertaken by the
United States selfshly, with view to private
profit, nor is it a new undertaking. They
have been in the use of the two metals from
| the time the government was organized 1t is
no new system which they propose to estab
| fish it is the old system that under which
they have long lived and prospered to which
| they are returning. From 1892 to the day
| when, by sort of iradvertence, in 1873, the
silver standard was suppressed, not mer
chant. not banker, not manufacturer, MOI
an establishment, nor an interest of any kind
could be cited as having raised any objection
to the simultaneous use of the two metals
Bi-metallism is, therefore, in the United
States not only a tradition of the law, bu
has entered deeply into the habits of the peo
pie. Mr. G. said in response "he mean
that the American people had never beer
asked whether they wished silver to remain
legal tender; that no newspaper had callet
attention to the change, nor had any Cham
Der of Commerce or Board of Trade con
sidered or recommended it. 1t occurred Will
the government was in stateso& suspension
and when public attention was not sufficient.
directed to the subject"
Here we have a statement made before tn
International Conference by Mr.. Grosebeck
representing President Hayes administration
and the American people, of a stealthy tricl
!, in demonetizing silver without the knowl
edge OF, and contrary to the desire of tn
American people. Mr.. Grosebeck in his eager
ness to impress one thought on the Confer
ence failed to observe that he was eXposin
an irexcusable dereliction in his party an
disgracing the dignity and intelligence of tn
American Government in permitting such
gross blunder More, he stultiied his govern
ment which had gravely called a Conferenc
of the Nations to consider a subject which
had so recently let pass by "inddye,teace
while the government was in a state of Su'
pension" No wonder explanations wer
asked and Mr.. g., in his replies slipped u
discreditably. These are grave matters bac
of the silver question, which time will fore
upon the country which should be CAREFUL
considered and provided for by prudent states
manship; if indeed, the latter has not be
come a lost art in America. If it is a ques
ton for the people, they should be acquainte
with its history.
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