The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1895-08-01
Senator MorSan'S
Great Speech
Continued from LIST page. }

ing to accept that sort of coin,
WHETHER OF SILVER OR GOLD,
that is thus named and described IN
the terms Of the contract; and, IL he |
wishes 70 violate his agreement by |
refusing to comply with it, he should |
be compelled to accept II. IT no
special coin is named in the con
tract, it is payable IN any fall legal
tender coin, at the option OF the
debtor.
again state that the only real
power that meney has under the Law
is the one power 10 pay debt, and
it is only through the legal tender
laws that this power, in the compnl-
sorry form, is available.
A CRUELTY TO THE POOR.
When both these metals are thus
distinctly declared by the constltu-
ton to be money metals that can
alone be coined as legal tender mon
ely, and when this essential power OF
money in making compulsory the
power to pay debts bears SO directly
upon those whose business in life,
whose necessities, and even their
misfortunes, shall sometimes force
them TO become debtors TO the NOR.
fortunate, or the wiser. or the mean
or people with whom they must have
dealings,
1T is AN INEXPRESSIBLE CRUELTY
to strike down one or both Of these
metals as q legal tender. The con-
A. tl,at coil nj
Gus work, and the men III aut horlty
who demand and uphold it are guilty
Of perverting the character Of our
liberties, and the darkness o. their
guilt is all the more hid"ous because
it falls as a shadow upon the poor
and the helpless.
They may thrust their lofty heads
above this cloud of distress that
shadows every land, and the plumcd
crests of kings may signal their con
CALCULATIONS to each other and across
the ocean to the
PRESIDENT OF OUR REPUBLIC;
they may claim that they are hon
orable men, who keep the faith of
nations and pay honest debts IN
sound money, yet they mistake Gu
pidity for honor, and they translate
' mere power as mearIng justice. 1t
is "might that makes all things
right" with them. Their glory shines
out like that of the Turkish flag at
Shipka pass, that hoated above
pyramid of the headless trunks of
captives taken in open war, and
slaughtered after they had surren
dered. These wordy boasts of honor
between nations are made In order
10 cover the guilt of II
MERCILEss SLAUGHTER OF INNOCENT
PEOPLE.
They have made the debts of the
people "just" by striking out, with
lawless hand, the provisions in our
bonds that they should be paid IN
gold or silver CONS at the option of
the government, and by compelling
the taxed toilers of the country to
pay only in gold the debt that, on its
face, gave them the right to pay in
gold or silver coin. They made the
debt "honest" by doubling the bur
den of it's obligation, and thereby
doubling the taxation that alone
could pay it, and they brand the
people as being dIshonOrable repudi-
ators VINO even dare to groan under
the oppressive burden. This is a
purely British policy. 1t is British
standard of good faith. 1t has no
place in any American code of NOR
ais. 1t is sheer robbery.
wHAyIs WANTING?
The resources of America in for
ests, fields and mines are great |
enough to give us the mastery of the
world in production, commerce and |
in money coined from our own pre-
cious metals. What, then, is want
ingf 1t is the men with the old |
spirit of American independence of
1776 that are wanting with the cour-
age to declare that justice is the
true standard of honor, and that
sound money, is the gold and silver
coin that is named in the constitu-
ton as legal tender and is expressly
stated in all our national Obliga-
tons, except gold and silver certfi-
Gates, to be the sort of money in
which they are payable.
The spirit of loyalty to America and
of faithful regard for our constitu-
ton, inspired all oar laws of coin
age, legal tender and finance, from
the foundation of our government
until 1873 Then it failed for two
reasons. One reason was the
GEAsPING GREED OF GREAT BRITAIN
and her allied stock and bond hold
ers in our midst, the other reason
was that our people had sunk their
spirit of national independence
Some of them, through the distress
and humiliation of sudden poverty,
as the result of the civil war, and
others, who had a great majority in
congress at their backs, had lost
sight of the star of liberty in the
glamor and pride of sudden wealth.
But the spirit of indepence was lost
to those who gained money, while
others lost their lives in battle.
In the enactment of new laws for
the radically new situation, includ-
ing the Revised Statutes of 56O1 sec
tions, new coinage law was enact
ed on the 18th of February, 1873.
1t was spread through 95 sections of
the Revised Statutes, which we've
adopted,
WITHOUT BEING READ IN EITHER
HOUSE
on the Goth of June, 1874, to date
from the LIST day of Der, 1873.
In the enactment of this vast body
of law, which repealed all laws of d |
general character that preceded it,
there is serious challenge made by
the most active and eminent men In
congress and by President Grant,
who signed the bill, that the blow
which destroyed legal tender silver
money was stealthy stab, delivered
in the confusion that attended this
great revolution in all the general