Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-05-11

Sence OF Vi nouesty, anu the professor
is not an ignorant man. Were he
to take the trouble to look up a little
history and q few facts connected with
the coinage of the United States, he
would, perhaps, diccover where he is in
error. Let him set to work and honestly
investigate. If he will dig in earnest he
will discover that during the interval
which elapsed from the establishment of
the confederacy in ITS, to the adoption
of the constitution in 1888, coins were
issued not only by the several states or
colonies, but larg amount of coppers
were issued by private persons and
foreign spectators. This had the effect
of calling the attention of the federal
congress to the subject of national
coinage to remedy the evils. The con-
stitution of 1887 arrested all this coinage
issues and vested the right of coinage
solely in the general government. In 1886
latter the adoption ofThomas Jefferson's
report in 1850 congress made provisions
for system of coinage, as suggested by
Mr.. Jefferson, which took the silver in
the Spanish milled dollar as the unit.
On April Is, 1890, congress instructed
Alexander Hamilton, who was then sec
rotary of the treasury, to prepare plan
for the establishment of a mint The
foundation of the mint was laid on July
81, 1892. On November 6, 1892 a small
beginning was made in the way Of coin
ing pattern pieces in the shape of half
dimes and dimes. On March l. 1898, the
first official return of coins from the
mint to the United States treasurer took
place. 1t consisted of HIS copper
cents, few of which are yet in existence,
and in a splendid state of preservation,
which the professor can find if he so de-
sires. The first official coinage of silver
took place during the latter part of the
following year-1794-under the same
director of the mint, David Rittenhouse,
who was formerly treasurer of the state
of Pennsylvania. 1t consisted of 1853
silver dollar pieces, each of which con-
tanned BIZ grains of fine sill
yer, exactly the snme amount as con-
tanned in the Spanish mllled dollar at
that time, and $500 half dollar pieces, of
like tineness, n few of which are still in
existence. The next silver coinage oc
CURED in 1895. During that year there
were coined 1908 dollar pieces, 3l7,836
half dollar pieces and S6,416 half dimes.
1t was during the latter year (1795) that
the first gold was coined by the United
States mint. On February -, 1895,
Moses Brown, Boston merchant, de-
posted gold ingots to the value of 3d.
276.22. This was the first deposit of gold
at the United States mint, and was paid
for in silver coins which had very re-
Gently been minted. The first return of
gold COINS from the chief coiner was on
the 3lst day of July, 1895, and consisted
of IA half eagles, one or two of which
are yet in existence right here in Peoria.
The first delivery of eagles, or gold units,
took place on the 22d day of September,
1895, and consisted of 400 pieces. If eny-
| thing further is needed to show to Prof.
know what he is talking about or that the
original money unit of the United States
was other than 81 d grains of fine silver,
as contained in the Spanish milled dollar
at that time, or that it did not precede
gold coinage at the mint, neither the
written records nor the coinage itself are
to be relied upon. The records as we'll
as the coinage do show, however, and
show very clearly, that it was the original
intention of the founders of our monetary
system to make SIX grains of silver the
unit and have gold conform to that unit.
This idea is not only borne out by written
history, but by the very coins themselves.
which are yet in existence. The attempt,
therefore, by the professor to convey the
impression that gold was the original
unit, is not only preposterous, but ridic-
ulously dishonest No better proof of
this is required than the coins themselves.
The first coinage was copper, the next
silver, and lastly gold; and last of all the
gold eagle or ten unit piece, the gold for
is brief outline of the history of Ameri-
can coinage. In presenting this brief
| history of American coinage, the Journal
has aimed to give nothing but facts
which can be easily verified, and which it
challenges Prof. j. Laurence Laughin to
controvert. In view of these facts there
Is but one way in which we, as Americans
as a nation--can consistently look at
the matter, and that is through American
spectacles exclusively, and it certainly
seems that the sooner We retrace our
steps and go back to the coinage law, as
it existed prior to 1858, the sooner will
the nations of Europe knock at our doors
for an international agreement; for how
can we, an enlightened nation, ask any
country to assist US in rehabilitating sill
yer, of which we control nearly, if not
quite, 50 per cent of the worlds supply,
we insist upon degrading it. The attempt
of the enemies of that metal may succeed
in finally destroying it as money of re-
demption. They should bear in mind,
however, that in their mad efforts to ac
conplish that end they not only invite,
but will be confronted with condition
of things for which they will be totally
unprepared. Conspiracy has ever been
met and overcome by conspiracy.-Peoria
Journal