The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-07-27
drafted after consulting a large num-
her of experts

drafted after consulting a large num-
her of experts.
Revision of Mint Laws.
We had never had a revision of the
mint laws for a great number of years,
and the men in charge of the mint
thought that the time had come when
something should be done Among
the men who were consulted upon the
question were Mr.. Boutwell,, the secre-
tary of the treasury; Mr.. Knox, deputy
controller of the currency; Mr.. Under
man. director of the mint, and Mr..
Parsons. superintendent of the mint at
Philadelphia. 1 deny that it had its
origination in England or London. I
defy Mr.. Harvey to prove one single
item that had any reference to the
British people controlling or directing
this matter
Thousands of the bill were sent
broadcast to all parts of the country.
The bill prepared by Mr.. Knox was in
dorsed by Secretary Boutwell, of the
treasury and transmitted to the SEN
ate on April 25, 1870. The bill as it
was at that time drafted dropped the
dollar silver coin of the United States
and changed the unit of value. That
was in the original bill as it was sent
to the senate, with a letter from the
secretary.
Mr.. Harvey-Mr. Horn, permit me.
Have you that bill and those letters
with you?
Mr.. Horr-I have not them here to-
day, but I have them in the city,
think
Mr.. Harvey-Win you produce them
during the debate?
Mr.. Horr-I will if I have them; I
don't know whether I brought them
| with me, but l think I did.
Mr.. Patterson wrote to Mr. Knox and
his letter was printed in the public
documents-fo will. say to this house
| that every single document I have re-
ferred to I copied from the books of the
government in the city of Washington,
myself individually, so know what
/ am talking about Mr.. Patterson said:
The silver dollar, half-dime, and
| three-cent piece are dispensed with by
this amendment. Gold becomes the
standard money, of which the gold dol
lar is the unit Silver is subsidiary,
embracing coins from the dime to the
half dollar
Corruption in Congress.
Mr.. Harvey-In the interrupted pre-
sentation of characterization I had
called the attention of the people to the
condition, morally, of congress at the
time of the passage of the act I had
referred to impeachment charges
against Vice-President Colfax in 1873
for fraud in connection with legisla-
| ton; to the resignation of Secretary OF
! War Belknap for bribery. 1 now pro-
coed, after first stating for Mr.. Horr's
! information that Del Mar, the English
| historian, says that the act of 1916 de-
mOnetizing silver in England had a
clause in it that it might be reinstat-
| ed by the king; that that clause Civ
! ing a right to reinstatement was re-
| pealed in 1871, and that the act in
which it was repealed was within two
weeks in the hands of Mr.. Knox. the
! comptroller of the United States treas
ury (applause), and was in part the
basis of the act in this country.
Now I proceed with this argument
as to what occurred in congress, and J
shall pass the books to Mr.. Horn. By
examining the records of the day and
the newspapers we find that there was
an era of corruption in congress at that
time. Clinton Colgate confessed before
the ways and means committee of 1877:
to the use Of money to influence the
incorporation of special features in the
internal revenue bill, testifying among
other things that Charles Sherman, Of
Ohio, a brother of Senator Sherman
! 4
Stock Exchange in connection with the
revenue bill. The officials of the stock
exchange were subpoenaed, and the
facts developed that while the money
had not been paid, Judge Sherman haC
rendered a bill to the exchange for hi:
services, and, as he claimed, for secur
ing the services of his brother, Senator
Sherman, to put the bill through Gap
plause) Colgate, when he testified
knew of the transaction, and supposed
the bill had been paid. AS Judge Sher
man was then a United ates distric
judge, the ways and means COMMITTEES
turned the whole matter over to tn,
judiciary committee, directing it Il
take action looking to his impeach
ment-and I stop right here to read
4OlN0H u JuuSC Ou0IAIldu 70 d mem De
} of the STOCK exchange of New Yorl
page 2125, No. 3 appendix, third ses
sion, Forty-second congress, Congress
sional Globe)
Sherman's Letter.
. Judges Room, United States Court
Northern District of Ohio.
Cleveland, March 9th. 1872.
, Dear SRI wrote you yesterday O
. my return from an absence of som
, time in ton feeble terms of nv faaline