The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-10-29
SHERMAN THE TRAITOR.

The facts found below were publish
ed in our columns some months ago.
Not one person in ten thousand knew
that Senator Sherman was an ardent
bi metallist up to the very day that the
bill demonetizing silver passed in 1873.
We think the press ought to give
this fact due prominence, and we pub
lish the facts again so that all papers
friendly to the peoples money may see
what, we have unearthed:
We are going to give the reader some
thing entirely new on the silver queS-
ton. 1t has been said that SENATOR
Sherman was at one time a bi metalIlsG'
We are prepared now to produce Ene
proof and drive the truth clear through
the old scamp and clinch it on Gne
other side. In newspaper parIance,
this is a big scoop"
"We made a visit to the State Library
last week, where bound volumes of the
Congressional Globe, now called the
Record, are kept. On page 627, will
be found the first of a speech in the
Senate by Senator Sherman in favor of
Senate Bill No. 1913. This bill was in
troduced by Senator Buckingham, Of
Connecticut. The finance committee
introduced a substitute. Tue bill was
to regulate charges for mintage and to
resume specie payments. Sherman
made a long bi-metallic speech, which
in these days, would be termed a Pop
ulistic speech" We will make but n
extract, which any one interested can
find on page $50, part one, Congress,
sional Globe, January 16, 1873, bottom
of column. 1t is as follows:
"If any one fact is proven by the ex
perience of mankind it is that gold and
silver are the best possible standards
of value. They have been go recog-
nized by every nation from the earliest
period of recorded time. However
much nations might differ in religion,
habits, production or climate, they
have not differed in this primary
axiom of exchange or barter. Expert
ments have been tried with other stand
ards from the iron OF Lycurgus to the
finest bank note engraving of modern
times, but all have resulted in the con-
viction that gold and silver is the only
true standard. Paper money support
ed by the credit of a Government is a
convenient substitute, greatly facilitat-
ing exchanges by the eas and safety
of handling and transmitting it, but it
is not real money it is only a promise
to pay money, and the only test of it's
character as false or true money is its
capacity to be converted into gold or
silver of precribed weightand fineness."
Now have you eve read a higher
tribute to silver7 He placed it ON an
eqUsITy SsGh gc7u@5T5rS~-
toned either.
Turn to page GA, part second, Con,
gressional Globe, January II, 1873,
only one day later, and you will find
that II. R. 1884, demonetizing silver,
engineered by Senator Sherman, passed
third reading.
This bill deprived silver Of its right
to unrestricted free coinage and de
stroyed it as a legal tender money in
the payment of debts, except to the
amount of five dollars and less. In
short stopped the coinage of it in the
future. Many members of Congress
claimed that they were deceived in the
nature of the bill-plead the baby act.
Perhaps some of them were. But that
cannot be said of Sherman. He prob
ably framed, or assisted in framing
the bill. At any rate, he was its fore
most champion. He had changed
from a bi-metallist to a goldbug inside
of "a hours.
Everybody believes that he sold out
1t is we'll knowR that Sherman had to
mortgage his home to get money to
defray his expenses in his first cam
palgn. He had been in the Senate only
eight years and had he saved every
dollar of his salary-$5, 900 a year
which was impossible, he could have
only had about $40, 900. In a short
time after this bill passed he was re-
puted to be worth several million dol
lars, and he has been the pet of the
goldbugs ever since. However, Cleve-
land divides honors with him now.
GPFAT IN PROSpEPTTV IN TuE