Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1895-04-25
KNEW NOT WHAT THEY DID.

came law has long been DISCUSSED
Certainly the weight Of testimony q
that they did not Many of then
we're friends Of silver and did not real
ne what they bad done for some yearE
thereafter. We print the statements Of
The men who voted for the measure,
which 1t seems should be convincing:
In connection with the charge that
advocated the bill which demonitizsd
] the standard silver dollar, l say that
although chairman Of The commit
&c on coinage ! was ignorant Of the
fact that it would demo1it!z9 the
silver dollar, or Of is dropping be sil
yer dollar from our system Of coins,
as were those distinguished Senators,
Blaine aud Vorhees, who were then
members Of the house, aud each OF
shom. a few days since, interfogatei
he other: "Did you know it VIA
,rOpped when the bill passed." "No"
aid Blaine; did you? mo" said
Mr. Voorhees,; "I do not tblnk there
we're three members Of the house that
tnew it."-Judge Kelley, Of Penn
,ylysnia, in Congressional Record.
volumn 7, part 2, Forty-Fifth Congress,
second session, page 1905.
i 1.-THE bill demonetlzing silver never
Vas understood by either House Of
Jougress. / say that With full
<now ledge OF the facts. No Dewspap per
'eporler, and they are the most vigi.
.aut men ] ever saw in obtaining i'm
OrnIation, discovered that 1t had been
lone. e.-Senator Beck, Of Kentucky, iu
Congressional Record, volume 7, part !,
Forty.Fifh Congress, second session,
iage 260.
II passed by fraud in the House.
never having been printed Ia advance,
being a substitute for the printed bill;
never having beeu read at the clerks
Iesk, the bill having been dispensed
With by an impression that the bill
made no msterial alteration Ia the
coinage laws; 1t was passed without
discussion, debate being cut Off by
operation Of the previous question. It.
was passed, TO my certain Information,
uuder such circumstances that the
fraud escaped the attention Of some Of
the most watchiul as well as the ablest
statesmen in congress at that time.
Aye, sir, it was a fraud that
smells 10 heaven, IL was fraud that
will stink In the nose of posterity, and
for which some persons must give &C
count at the day of retribution.-Mr.
Bright, of Tennessee, In Congressional
Record, volume Z, part /, second ses
sion, Forty Fifth Congress, page 5s4.
Did the people demonitize silver?
Never! IL cannot be even fairly said
hat Congress did it. 1t was done in a
,orner, dsrkly. II was done at the
nstigation OF the hondholders and
'ther money kings, who now, with up.
urned eyes, deplore the wicked nt NJ
We exhibit in even asking tie
question, who did this great wrong
against the tolling masses OF our peo.
,le?-Senator Morgan, Ia Congressional
Record, Dec. II, 1877, page l44
This legislation was in the Forty
second Congress, Feb. II 1873, by bill
@ regulate the mints Of the United
states, which practally abolished silvt !
Is money by falling to provide for the
'Oluage Of the silver dollar. 1t was not
discussed, as SHOWN by the record, and |
neither members OF Congress nor the |
'eople understood the scope OF the
Joseph Cannon, of Illinois,
n Congressional record, volume 4,
,art o, Forty-Fourth Congress, frs,
ession. page 1893.
Why the coinage act Of 1873, which
Orblds the cinage OF the silver dollar,
vas passed no one ut this day can give
good reason.-Senalor Bogy, OF Mis-
ouri, in Congressional Record volume
, part 8, Forty Fourth Congress, first
ession, page i,l7s.
The coinage act Of 1873, unaccompa.
led by any written report upon the
ubieot, aud unknown 10 the members
{ Congress, who, without opposition,
llowed 1t TO pass uader the belief, II
ot assurance, that Il made no alteration
q the value Of current coins, changed
he unit Of value from silver TO gold,
Mr. Buchsrd, OF Illinois, In Congres-
onal Record, July lS, 1879, page 6sl.
hut when the secret history OF this
IN OF 1873 Gomez O. be told II will dls-
ose the fact that The house of Repre-
lntatives Intended 10 coin both metals
pon the French relation Instead of our
sn, which was the true scientific
isliion with reference 10 this object I
1879 but the bill was afterwards
lctond n may Use the term, aud
'e n la au offensive sense Of course.
'nAior Allison, of lows, Ia Congres.
lnal Record, volume 7, part 2, Forty
nh Congrcss, SECOND session, page
lSl