The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1895-07-25

July, 1870, printed this report OF Mr.. Knox
and commented on the same. The bill pre-
pared by Mr.. Knox was endorsed by Score
tary Boutwell,, OF the treasury, and trans
mitted to the senate on April %, 1870 The
BILL as 1t was ut that time drafted. dropped
the dollar silver coin OF the United States
and changed the unit Of value. That was
In the original bill as 1t was sent TO the
senate with a letter from the secretary
Nobody tried 10 cover up that fact. In
this report Of Mr. Knox were found all
the letters of these different experts TO
whom had been sent draft of the bill and
who had been asked for their opiRiOn upon
1t. These letters were all printed by order
of the senate in connection with the care
fully prepared report of Mt. Knox"
Mr.. Harvey: MIR Horr, permit me. Have
you that bill and those letters with your'
Mr. Horn: Il have not them here to-day.
but | have them in the city, | think
Mr. Harvey: "Will you produce them
during the debateT'
Mr. Horr: II will IL have them; I don't
know whether l brought them with me, but
l think / did. Mr. Patterson wrote TO Mr..
Knox and his letter was printed in the
public documents. l will say to this house
that every single document l have referred
to | copied from the books OF the govern
ment in the city Of Washington, myself,
individually, so l know what | am talking
about. Mr.. Patterson said: The silver half
dime and three-cent piece are dispensed
with by this amendment. Gold becomes the
standard money. of which the gold dollar
Is the unit. Silver is subsidiary, embracing
coins from the dime 10 the half dollar.
Can anything be more plain than thatI
Was there any covering up OF anything in
that letter?'
Charges Corruption.
Slr. Harvey: "In the presentation Of de-
monetzation | have called attention 10
the condition, morally, Of congress at the
time or the passage of the act; to impeach-
ment charges against Vice President Col
fax, In 1913, for fraud in connection with
legislation and to the resignation of Secre-
tary OF War Beiknap for bribery in 1873.
! now proceed. after first stating for Mr..
Horrs Information that Delmar, the Eng
ilsh historian, says that the act OF 1916
demonetizing silver In England had a clause
In 1t that II might be reinstated by the
king: that that clause giving a right to re-
instatement was repealed in 1871, ana that
the act on which ii was repealed was with
In two weeks in the hands of Mr. Knox,
the controller Of the United States treas
ury tappause), and was In part the basis
or the act in this country. There was an
era or corruption in congress at that time
clinton Colgate confessed before the WAYS
ana means committee of 1873 to the use
OF money TO influence the Incorporation Of
special features in the internal revenue
Dill testfying among other things that
mares sherman of Ohio, a brother Of
Senator Sherman. had EN- paid $4,000 by
the New York stock exchange In connec-
lion with the revenue bill. The officials of
the STOCK exchange were subpOenaed, and
the facts developed that while the money
had not been paid, Judge sherman had
rehueFeu on to the exchange for his
services, and, as he ella med for securing
the services of his brother Senator Sher-
man 10 put the bill through CApplauSel.
II would readily exhaust the words of this
DEBATE to go into all the Investigations OF
that notorious COHgre,s"
Horr Defends COngressmen.
MI Horr; The attempt OF Mr. Harvey TO
smirch the congress of the United States
ana make the people OF this country be-
lleVe that the people who acted as members
or congress in this country. as a rule, are
corrupt and have been subject to purchase
ana sale, can be characterized only as in
famous. (ApplauSeD No nation on the face
OF the earth ever had a purer set of egs-
lators than have been in the congress OF
thls country during its existence. There sit
Delore me several members of congress who
served with me in several congresses and |
appeal to each and every one Of them il.
during their entire services, they ever saw
or mistrusted that money was being used to
purchase members of congress. | served
SIX years without ever knowing that an in
stance OF that kind had occurred during the
congresses in which l served. When men
start out with the proposition that, in or
der to prove their case they must also
prove that majority OF the best men Of
, this country are thieves aud scoundreIs.
they had better stop before they begin.
tApplause) The people of this country-and
the congressman is no eXceptiOn-as an av-
erage, are upright, honest business men.
admit that Judge Sherman was guilty Of g
crime. That was never in any way con-
nected with his brother, John Sherman,
and you know 1t. They exonerated him"
Mr.. Harvey: Did they impeach Judge
Sherman"
Mr.. Horr: Judge Sherman resigned i'm
medately. They drove him from the
bench. (Applause) The public opinion Of
this country would not permit man to
hold public position who would do thing
of that kind. But what has that to do with
the question whether Mr.. Knox openly and
squarely presented this bill to congress?
Mr.. Knox said himself: The coinage Of
the silver dollar piece. the history OF which
Is here given, Is discontinued In the pro.
posed bill 1t Is by law the dollar unit.
The present gold dollar piece Is made the
dollar unit In the proposed BILL"
voice in the audience: when was that
writtenT
Mr.. Horr: Gust before 1t was sent 70
congress, in 1870 II was a part OF the re-
port that Secretary Boutwell, sent to the
senate in the spring or 1870. 1t accom-
panied the bill and was printed in the
public documents as being an explanation
of the bill by order Of the senate. Is there
anything hidden in those statementsY
Charged With Bribery.
Mr.. Harvey: Among the many charges
of corruption made at the period, 1873, there
was one Of Significance when we consider
that silver was demonetized by single
sentence being omitted from the report or
the conference committee and enrolment
Of the mint bill; and indicates 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 to
assist them In repeating the tax on borrowed