The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-07-23
VAIN THINGS FOR SAFETY.
Politicians Before. Election and After
Election.


Election.
On July 1st, 1892, the United States
Senate passed Senate Bill No. 81 Intro
duced by Senator Stewart, of Nevada),
providing, THAT the owner of silver
bullion may deposit the same at any
mint of the United States, to be coined
for his benefit, and it shall be the duty
of the proper officer upon the terms
and conditions which are provided by
law for the deposit and coinage of gold
to coin such silve. bullion into standard
dollars, X = X and such coins shall
be a legal tender for all debts and dues,
public and private"
This action was taken as the country
stood face to face before a great presi-
Dental election.
The election was hardly over a week,
before the cry for a special session of
Congress was raised in certain quar-
ters. At first it was claimed that an
extra session was necessary to repeal
the Mckinley tariff law. Daily the cry
grew louder. AS SOC as the idea of a
special session became we'll fixed in the
public mind, the tariff question drop.
ped suddenly out of sight, and the
great New York dailies joined in .
shout of "Repeal the Sherman law!
Repeal the Sherman law!" Then the
little cuckoo organs over the country
began to scream in their little treble.
Repeal the Sherman law!" There
was no harm in the Sherman law. On
the contrary, it was good as far as it
went, as it was adding to the volume
of currency about $50, 00O, 900 annually.
1t was a miserable makeshift for a free
silver law such as the Senate had pass
ed just before the election, but it was
far better than nothing. That was the
reason that it was ~repuGiated by its
unnatural father, Sherman himself, by
Cleveland and Carlisle and the New
York dailies and the little cuckoo or
gans, like some in North Carolina
which we might name.
But the people were net in the least
alarmed. Despite their suspicion of
Cleveland, and despite the fact that
there were very many new members of
theHouse of r Representatives theyknew
that the Senate was safe. And they
well knew that without the consent of
the Senate, the President and the
House combined would be p~owerless to
infict upon them any greater burdens
than those under which they were
then struggling by reason of a volume
of currency altogether too small to en-.
able them to sell their products at a
living profit, or to dispose of such
property as they desired to sell at a
reasonable price.
The Senate, said the people, has stood
up for u rights, and we have nothing
to fear. But alas! they did not stop to
think that the Yankee ShyIocks would
never have allowed Cleveland to deal
until the cards had been we'll stacked.
These men knew the hearts of certain
Southern Senators (shameful to say
far better than the Southern people
who had honored and trusted them.
The Congress was convened in extra
ordinary session to accomplish an 81
traordinary piece of villainy. on the
9TH of August, 1893. On the 28th of
October, 1898. a vote was taken or an
amendment offered by Senator Allen.
of Nebraska, as follows:
'"That hereafter standard silver dol
lars shall be coined at the several mints
of the United States into silver doTIors
half dollars, quarter dollars and diroos
at the present ratio of Is grains "a
standard silver to 1 grain of standord
gold, under the same conditions ao -
mintage and other charges that arc
now or may hereafter be in force III
reference to the coinage of gold =
All money coined under the provi0;o,a
Of this act shall be q full legal tonJoS
for all debts, public and privata.o
This amendment was reioctoS
vote OF Al to 81, by the Senate tho ~,
months before the election had noUOus
the Stewart bill which was ida~4:@
in meaning. NenElcaL