The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-07-27

tional limitation a few days after the
bill had baen thus reported and with
out any action upon it by the house
Now. on March 9, 1871, there had been
already a special session called of an
other congress. Mr.. Kelly again in
troduced this bill and it was ordered to
be printed and referred to the commit
tee on coinage when such committee
should be appointed. Nothing futher
was done about it during that entire
extra session.
Mr. Harvey-As proceed-in con-
nected manner, however, will fully
answer Mr.. Horn.
Among the many charges of corrup-
ton made at this period, 1873, there
was one of significance when we con-
slider that silver was demonetized by a
single sentence being omitted from the
report of the conference commRtee and
enrolment of the mint bill, and indi-
Gates the power, in this instance, a
corrupt clerk could have. George A.
Bassett, clerk of the ways and means
committee, 1873, was charged with
having demanded $3.50 per month from
the bankers and brokers of New York
borrowed capital, and $4,000 when the
act passed.
George A. Bassett Scored.
In the Chicago Tribune of February
II, 1873, an administration paper of
that period, now before me on this Ia
Bile for the inspection of Mr.. orr,
| Washington correspondent So LAS
| for George A Bassett, long the ERIK of
| the ways and means committee, the
story of the use of his privileges are
as old as my residence in this city. l
| heard complaints made in California
| that he had demanded payment for
| services after experiencing unusual
hospitality from the corporations
| there"
This same correspondent in the same
+ issue of this administration paper Ghe
republican party being then in power,
speaking of the situation at Washing
ton February q, 1873, the very month
in which silver was demonetized, said:
Turkish corruption under the pashas
and beys, or Russian official rotten
ness, could scarcely be worse than it
is here" (AppIause)
1t was at this congress that silver
was demonetized. (Applause) To
make plain how the fraud was prac-
ticed, I copy into my remarks Sections
Is and Is of the bill as it is supposed
to have been read when on its passage,
| together with the words fraudulently
omitted in brackets. Omit the words
in brackets and you have these sec
lions as they now read in the statutes;
include the words in brackets and you
have the sections as the bill was sup
posed to have passed congress.
Mr.. Horr-Where is that from?
don't understand
Mr.. Harvey take the two sections
as they now appear in the statutes and
1 add between brackets the words that
were erased from the bill
Mr.. Horny whom?
Mr. Harvey (continuing)-Sur
tiously in its passage.
Mr.. Horny whom? What proci
have you that anything was erased?
Mr.. Harvey-Pn get to the proof 81
that little later.
Mr.. Horr-Well. let's have it.
Text of Bill of '78.
Mr.. Harvey-''Section 15 That the
silver coins Of the United States shall
be a trade dollar, "a standard dollar, {
half dollar or 50-cent piece, a quarter
dollar or 25-eent piece, a dime or 10
cent piece; and the weight of the trade
dollar shall be 420 grains troy; (tht
weight of a standard dollar shall be 49,
grains troy; the weight of the half dol
lar shall be II grams and one-ha1f of {
gram; the quarter-dollar and the dime
shall be respectively one-haIf and one
fifth of the weight of said half-dollar
and said (fractionaD coins shall be
legal tender at their nominal value fol
any amount not exceeding So in any on,
payment" Sec. 81. That any owne
of silver bullion may deposit same a
any mint, to be formed into bars, o.
into dollars of the weight of 42O grains
troy, designated in this act as trad
dollars, (or into standard dollars O
384 grains), and no deposit of silver TO
other coinage shall be received; but sill
yer bullion contained in gold deposit
and separated therefrom may be pal,
for in silver coin at such valuations a
may be, from time to time, established
by the director of the mint"
AS the Dill passed both houses tn
unit was on gold, and free and IN
= limited coinage of both metals was pro
vided for. By il there was free coin
age of silver in the standard silver dol
lar and the trade dollars; fractional sill
yer coins only were to be regulated b
the treasurer at his discretion But a
enrolled the minis were closed to fire
and unlimited coinage of silver, excep
as to the trade dollar, afterward
abolished The standard silver dolla
was fraudulently omitted after the bi
? had passed both houses. applause
} 1t will be questioned by our best cit
t zens that such a fraud could be praC
l ticed and the hesitancy with whic
+, they accept its truth attests the integ