Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-12-27
LIE SILVER QUESTION.

2
: passed through congress furtively, anC
that not a single one of the honest yeO
. marry of America was taken into the
: confidence OF those who introduced it
' EX-Secretary Boutwell,, of the treasury.
declares this 10 be untrue, saying that
: he himself recommended the bill to
4 congress, repeatedly calling their atten
= ton ia it; tha the bill was several
years getting through congress, was
. thoroughly discussed and printed many
: times; that the standard silver dollar
: was dropped in the hill as first intro.
duced and IN the bill as finally passed,
, and that everyone had an opportunity
to know it.
This conversation has led us to eX-
anime more thoroughly into the facts OF
, the Introduction and passage of the bill,
and being at the city of Washington, we
have had the best opportunity to reach
these.
We showed on PIP. 9-lS that in the
title of the bill the vital point of a
change of standard from bimetallism to
monometallism was not mentioned, as it
should have been most plainly. aud that
the discussion of the bill made so little
impression on congress and the country
that no one appeared to know that any
thing of moment had happened.
Mr.. Boutwell, in his annual report as
secretary of the treasury, to congress, IN
1869, thus refers to the minis:
"The mining and coming of the
precious metals is now so large ma
tional interest that 1t deserves more at
tentiOn than it has hitherto received
At present there is no bureau or officer
in the treasury department at Wash
ingtOn charged specially with the man
agement of this great interest. there
fore recommend that provision be made
for the appointment of a proper officer
to be intrusted with this branch of the
public business under the direction of
the secretary of the treasury
In 1870 Mr.. Boutwell, called attention
to the decentralization act as follows:
81 respectfully ask the attention of
congress to the bill prepared in this de-
partment and submitted at the last ses-
sion, and to the accompanying report.
relative TO the minis and the coinage
system of the country. The bill was
prepared with care and it has since been
submitted to large humber of practical
and scientific men. whose views have
been published by authority of con-
gress.
During the year the several branch
minis and assay offices have been visited
and examined by Mr.. Knox and DR..
I.indermann. The assay office at Boise
City, Idaho, is nearly completed and it
will require small appropriation for
the commencement of business. Pro-
vision should be made for the redemption
of the bronze and other tokens issued bv
the government"
in 1871 he thus again refers to the
subject
During the third session of the list
Congress "A bill was submitted for the
organization of IA mint bureau. The bill
passed the senate, but failed in the
house of representatives, though not,
as am informed, from any objections
to the principles on which it was formed.
| urgently recommend the passage of 4
similar bill at the present session of
congress. All the minis and assay Of
treasury department, but there is not,
by authority of law. any person in the
department, who, by virtue of his Office,
is supposed to be informed upon the
subject, and no one on whom the secre-
tary of the treasury can officially RELY
for information or advice in the man
agement of this important branch OF the
public business"
In his report of 1872 Secretary Bout
we'll says:
SIN the last ten years the commercial
value of silver has deprecated about 3
per cent a. compared with gold, and its
use ~ a currency has been discontinued
tries. The financial condition of the
United states has prevented the use of
silver rs currency for more than ten
years, and | am of opinion that upon
grounds of public policy no attempt
should be made 10 introduce it, but that
the coinage should be limited to com
mcrcial purposes. aud designed eN-
clusively for commercial uses with other
nations.
"Ihc intrinsic value OF a metallic cur
reucy should correspond to its CONNER
cial value. or metals should be used for
the coinage of tokens redecmahle by the
government az their nominal value. As
the depreciation of silver is likely to
continue. it is impossible to issue com
redeemablc in gold without ultimate
loss to the governments for when the
difference becomes considerable the
holders will present the silver for re-
demption and leave it i'm the hands of
the government to be disposed of sub
sequentlY at loss.
wherefore, in renewing the recon-
mendatlOns heretofore made for the
passage of the mint bill, suggest such
alterations rs will prohibit the coinage
of silver for circulation in this country,
but that authority be given for the coin
age of silver dollar that shall be as
valuable as the Mexican dollar, and to
be furnished at its actual cost"
1t will be seeen that in these reports
Gov. Boutwell, refers to this bill, but he
nowhere calls attention to the fact that
the money standard was to he changed
from bimetallic to mOnometallic, with