The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-06-25
o M STARTLING NEWS.

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thing entirely new on the silver ques.
ton, something never published be-
fore. 1t has been said that Senator
Sherman wasat one time a bi metallist.
We r prepared now to produce the
proof and drive the truth clear through
the old scamp and clinch it on the
other side. In newspaper parlance
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 0Z|'
will be found the first OF a speech III
the Senate by Senator Sherman IN Ia
vor of Senate bill No. 1913. This OIL
was introduced by Senator Bucklng-
ham. of Connecticut. The Finance
committee introduced a substitute.
The DILL was to regulate charges for
mintage and to resume specie pay
ments. Sherman made a long bimet-
allie speech, which, in these days,
would be termed a "Populistic speech"
We will make but one extract, which
any one interested can find on page
$50, part one, Congressional Globe,
Jan Is, 1873, bottom of second column
1t is as follows:
'It any one fact is proven by the
experience of mankind it is that gold
and silver are the best possible stand
ards of value. They have been so
recognized by every nation from the
earliest period of recorded time. How
ever much nations might differ in re
ligion, habits, production or climate,
they have not differed in this primary
axiom of exchange or barter. Elk
periments have been tried with other
standards from the iron of Lycurgus
to the finest bank note engraving of
modern times, but all have resulted in
the conviction that gold and silver is
the only true standard. Paper money
supported by the credit of a Govern
ment is a convenient substitute greatly
facilitating exchanges by the ease 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 its character as false or true
money is its capacity to be converted
into gold or silver of prescribed weight
and fneness."
Now have you ever read a higher
tribute to silver He placed it on an
equality with gold every time he men
toned either.
Turn to page GA, part second, Con
greSsiOnGL Globe, January II, 1873,
only N day later, and you will find
that II. R. 1884, demonetizing silver,
engineered by Senator Sherman, passed
third reading.
This bill deprived silver of it's right to
unrestricted free coinage and destroyed
it as a legal tender money in the pay
ment of debts, except to the amount
of five dollars and less. In short stop
ped 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. Per
haps 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 bimetallist to a gold bug inside of "a
hours.
Everybody believes that he sold out.
1t is well known that Sherman had to
mortgage his home to get money to
defray his expenses in his first cam
paign. 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 reputed to
be worth several million dollars, and
he has been the pet of the gold bugs
ever since. However, Cleveland di-
vides honor with him now.