Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-07-26
THE SILVER QUESTION.
SPEECH OF MR.. EoMUNDs AT PHlLADEL
PHIA REVIEWED.
Continued from last week.

Continued from last week.
~ know that the bondholders and the
monopolists of this country are seeking
to destroy all the industries of this peO
pie. in their greed to enhance the value
of their gold. | know that the act of
1873 did more than all else to accomplish
that result. and the decentralization act of
the Revised Statutes was an illegal and
unconstitutional contamination of the
fraud. | want to restore that money to
where it was before, and thus aid in pre-
venting the contamination of their de
signs. "-ScRatOr Beck agdtH.
"But when the secret history of this
bill of 1873 comes to be told, it will dis
close the fact that the House of Repre-
sentatives intended to coin Doth gold
and silver, and intended to place both
metals upon the French relation instead
Of our own, which was the true scientific
position with reference to this subject in
1873, but that the bill afterward was
doctored. 1t was changed after
the discussion, and the dollar of 420
grains was substituted for it."-,SeRator
Allison, Feb. 18TH. 1878. Senator Ali
sou is very prominent candidate for the
next Republican nomination for presi-
dent. His word should be good.
1T was of no consequence whether or
not knew in February, 1874, that silver
was demonetized in February, 1913. 1t
was too late to prevent what had been
done in the previous year. | did not
know that silver was demonetized for
more than a year after February, 1871,
since which time my btterest enemies
will hardly blame me for not doing all in
my power in and out of Congress TO re-
monetize silver. But the statement OF
the senator from Ohio that | knew on
| the 18th day of February, 1874, that sill
yer was demOnetiZed, or that | said so,
/ has no foundation in fact. The quotation
from the speech which he held i'm his
| hand when he made the statement does
not prove it, and the speech itself dis
proves any such inference. ~. VI.
! Ste,eaf, Senate Speech, Sept. 9TH. 1893.
"Mr. President, do not regard the de-
monetiZ alton of silver as an attempt to
wrench from the people more than they
agree to pay. That is not the crime of
which accuse the act of 1873. charge
/ it with guilt compared with which the
robbery of two hundred millions is We
NAL. "-.Senotor Ho'rc, Feb. >, 1873.
81 say that beyond the possibility of a
doubt (and there is no disputing it, that
bill which demonetized silver, as it passed,
never was read, never was discussed,
and that the chairman of the committee
who reported it, who offered the substi-
tute, said to Mr.. Holman, when inquired
of, that it did not affect the coinage in
any way whatever. Senator Hcreford,
Feb. IL, 1873.
"Why the act of 1873, which forbids
the coinage of the silver dollar, was
passed, no one at this day can give a
of L.
souri,.
"Did the people demonetize silver
/ Never. 1t cannot be fairly said that
Congress did 1t. 1t was done in corner
darkly. 1t was done at the instigation
of the bondholders and other money
kings, who now, with upturned eyes,
deplore the wckedness we exhibit in
asking the question, even, who did tho
great wrong against the toling millions
of our people Ex-senator Morg0n, Dee
I2th. 1877.
IL have before me the record of the
proceedings of this House on the passage
of that measure, IA record which no mar
can read without being convinced tina
the measure and the method of its pas
sage through this House was 'colossa
swindle.' | assert that the measure
never had the sanction of this House
and it does not possess the moral force
of law."-Mr. Holman, in The House
Jaly 1871, 1876.
The original bill was simply bill tc
organize a bureau of mines and coinage
The bill which finally passed the House
and which ultimately became law was
certainly not read in the House.
1t was never considered before the House
as it was passed. Up to the time the
bill came before this house for final pas
sage the measure had simply been one tC
establish IA bureau of MINES; | believe
use the term correctly now. 1t camC
from the Committee of Coinage, Weight:
and Measures. The substitute which fin
ally became a law was never read, and Il
subject to the charge made against ii by
the gentleman from Missouri Mr.. Bland ]
: that it was passed by the house without
a knowledge of ITS provisions, especially
upon that of coinage. myself asked th'
; question of Mr.. Hooper, who stood nea
where | am now standing, whether /
changed the law in regard to coinage
And the answer of Mr.. Hooper certainly
left the impression upon the whole hous'
that the subject of the coinage was no
affected by the bill."-N. Holman, II
the House, Aug. 3, 1876.
, In addition to the testimony of .hes'
men, who, equally with Mr. Edmunds
, were members of the Congress by which
/ silver was demonetized is the fact, jus
mentioned, that very little if any mention
of the fact was made in any American
paper of that time.
With all this testimony, it would in
deed be difficult not to think that thu
bill demonetizing silver was surreptitious
" introduced and passed by Congress
but with the title of the bill before us, i
will be impossible not to think that i
| was so introduced.
But the wonder to us is, if the bill, Sc
t far as Mr.. Edmunds was concerned, wai
not surreptitiously passed; If he knew
what it signified; why didn't he oppose