The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-09-11
DID HE WRITE 1T?

From the Minneapolis Penny Press.
This question has reference to the pur-
ported letter of Carlisle to Gooch, which
appeared in the Penny Press Sept. g. If
the secretary Of the treasury verify
penned or dictated that letter. it only
shows how utterly unreliable some noted
men can be. The letter says: Nobody
cared much about the silver dollar at
that time OS73), as 1t had not been in
circulation in this country for at least 80
years, it constituted no part of our cur
rency," etc.
Not in circulation in this country for at
least IS years prior to 1873? Now who
ever says this either wilfully attempts
to deceive us or is ignorant of the matter
he is talking about. Thousands of men
all over the United States can recall the
fact, If they will only stop to think, that
prior to the breaking out of our civil war
in 1861 the silver dollar, as we'll as the
minor silver coin, was In common use
among our people. In 1855 my father and
mother, and six brothers of us and
sister, came from Ohio into Minnesota
Now we six brothers and a sister are all
living to brand as fiction this assertion
about the silver dollar as not having
been in circulation for IS years prior to
1873. We the surviving seven, all of us
know, from personal recollection, that
for years both before and after 1855 the
silver coins of all denominations, from
the dollar piece down to five cents were
not only in circulation, but in very com
mon use In all the places that any of US
lived, in Ohio and in Minnesota, the sill
yer dollar was, until 1862, oftener used
than paper money. People were afraid
to take paper money, especially II over
so miles from the bank Of issue. And
they did not have to accept paper The
silver and the gold were quite plentiful.
And when the silver disappeared the gold
had also gone. This was not until about
October, 1862; though silver and gold had
been getting less plentiful for full SIX
months before this.
Another unsupported statement from
Carlisle is that the trade dollar Of APO
grains was senate substitute for the 1854
grain dollar that old John Sherman so
enthusiastically lauded as designed to
float around the world" Now on the
fourth day Of the Horr-Harvey debate,
Horn made this same false statement
about the 420 grain dollar being a substi
tute for the 1884 grain dollar. Harvey at
once rose and said IF you will show
me from the record of the proceedings in
the Senate on that day that the Senate
struck out that dollar we will stop this
debate right here" This debate between
Horn and Harvey lasted a week longer.
Now why did not Horn on some one Of
these subsequent days Of this debate
present the record from the senatorial
proceedings of this 420 grain dollar as
being a substitute for the dollar Of 1884
grains? Simply because it was not a
substitute, and because the records show
that both these dollars were accepted in
the Senate. All! Messrs. Carlisle, Horn
and Old John Sherman, you cannot clear
this thing of the faint, the odium, aye,
the crime of that bill having been sur
reptitiously tempered with In the inter-
ests of gold-monometallism We call
upon you to put your finger upon the
record Give us the date, and the page,
| and by whom it was proposed to strike
| out the 1884 grain dollar. Do not give us
your assertions, but give us the printed
record.
ROBERT REED.