The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-07-26
The SILVER DEBATE.
History OF the Act of 1873 Continued by
Measrs. Hnrr and Harrar


CHICAGO, July 22.-The fourth day oi
the Horr-Harvey silver contention
opened in the auditorium of the Illinoi:
club at Ills p. m. Saturday. The at
tendance showed no sppreciable diff
ference from that which character
lied the previous session.
Mr.. Harvey opened the days tall
with review of the points so far es
tablished. They were that prior to
1878 gold and silver were the money OF
the constitution; that silver was the
unit of value; that up to that time
the debtor was permitted to pay in
the cheaper money, and that silver
was not demonetized because of any
over production at the time the act .o1
1873 was passed. Then taking up the
debate proper he denied that he had al
any time tried to impeach the integ
rity of the American people, but he
did not propose to allow corrupt
legislators to throw the mantle OF
own protection. He recognized the in,
tegrity of the American people and il
was to that he appealed.
The speaker then resumed the state
ment which was interrupted at the
close of the talk on Thursday, of the
various steps leading up to the passage
of the act of 1873.
Mr.. Horr, in opening, declined tc
allow Mr. Harvey to accept as ad.
mitted any statement of Mr.. Har.
vey's which Mr.. Horr failed to deny.
Mr.. Horr said Mr.. Harvey had been
reading series of carefully prepared
essays and he (Mr. Horr) could not be
expected to remember all of the state
ments made in them. He would, how
ever, furnish Mr.. Harvey a rule to GO
by. He might take it for granted that
he (Horr) denied everything except
what he expressly assented to.
Having thus squared himself on the
record, Mr.. Horr took up the interna-
tional monetary conference in Paris in
| 1867, at which time the leading civil
lized nations of the world were repre-
sented, and pointed out that. after
the days consideration, the representa-
tives of all the nations present, in
Guiding the United States, voted unan-
imously, with the exception of the
representative of Holland, in favor of a
gold standard. 1t was after this that
our statesmen began to consider the
question of our currency, and it was
openly, and as legitimate outcome of
this international conference that the
act of of 1873 was passed.
Mr.. Harvey, replying, said that the
argument adduced to show that the
most important letter submitted by
Mr. Horr. showing that the man who
was supposed to have done the bribing
had in fact advised that the nation
continue bimetallism, was inconclu.
sive. Some future time a letter writ.
ten by Hon. John G.. Carlisle might be
produced, showing that he was BIZ
metallist instead of a single standard
secretary of the treasury.
Mr.. Harvey then resumed the his
tory of the act of 1873, quoting from
the debate in the senate when the bill
was put on its passage.
Hr. Horr said that there was in the
bill of which Mr.. Harvey had spoken a
provision for token dollar, worth five
and substituted the trade dollar.
Mr.. Harvey: ''If you will show me
anywhere in the debate that day where
the senate struck out that provision
we will stop the debate right here"
Mr.. Horr-"The bill as passed con-
tanned the trade dollar. did it not?'
Mr.. Harvey-"Yes, sir.
Mr.. Horr suggested that covered the
point and proceeded with his argument.
He said that nobody thought of strik
ing down silver when the bill was
passed. At that time silver was not in
circulation and the bullion in the dol
lar was worth more than 81.
Mr.. Harvey. coming back to the at
tack, read from Senator Sherman's
statement on putting the bill on its
passage. showing that the bill pro-
lar. equal to the French five-franc
piece, and the trade dollar. He de-
clared that Mr.. Horr had said that thi.
small dollar was not in the bill.
Mr.. Horr. interrupting, said he had
never denied it.
Mr.. Harvey said he would refer the
question in dispute to the record OF
the day.
Resuming. Mr.. Harvey said the con.
spiracy was carried out in the confer.
ence committee. Messrs. Sherman and
Harper reported to their respective
houses that the differences had been
reconciled, and the bill was passed
without debate and without question
The bill. as reported, omitted the 3s4
grain dollar.
Mr.. Horr said he did not deny the
existence of the 3S4 grain dollar in the
bill, but at no time did the bill pro-
vide for anything except gold as the
standard. The matter of the small
dollar was agreed on in conference
committee, as is the usual custom
but the committee could not
enact anything. 1t had to re
port to the two houses, and THEN