Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-24
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IT'S CLEAR MING

One OF our state papers in the interest
of Mr.. Clarke is attempting to make light
of the Stanley Matthews joint resolution
of 1878. 1t looks upon that resolution as
simply a theoretical declaration, and as
not intended to have any practical mean
ing. Let us see about that. When we
know what the author of the resolution
meant we can know pretty positively
what the resolution means Stanley
Matthews, senator in 1873 from the non
silver producing state of Ohio introduced
in the senate on December 6, 1877, the
following resolution:
BE it resolved in the senate (the house
of representatives concurring thereim
That all the bonds of the United States
issued or authorized to be issued under
the said acts of congress hereinbefore
recited are payable, principal and inter-
est, at the option of the government of
the United States In silver dollars of the
coinage of the United States containing
4l2R grains each of standard silver, and
that to restore to its coinage such sill
yer coins as legal tender In payment
of said bonds, principal and interest, is
not in violation of the public faith nor in
derogaton of the rights of the public
creditor"
on January 25, 1878, 1t passed the SEN
ate by vote of AZ yeas and 20 nays. In
three days thereafter it passed the house
by vote of yeas, 1889; nays, 70.
Every member of congress, senate and
house, from Alabama voted for this res
olution.
Senator Matthews, in discussing the
resolution, used the following strong lam
guage that family describes the condl-
ton of things now. He said
ID, Oh, t.. 4
has risen in value with all commodities,
and therefore with silver, and with silver
only because 1t has risen in value with
all commodities.
Il have the testimony of my observa-
ton; have the testimony in the list of
bankruptcies which l read; have the
testimony in the sheriff's sales 1 have no.
ticed; l have the testimony of prices to
which real estate has sunk and / could
recount instances in that city which be-
lieve today, the soundest and most pros
porous one on the continent, where bust
ness has been transacted the least on
credit mean the city in which I live
Observation-Disclosures the depreciation in
real estate and in every article of prop
erty other than gold itself has been actu-
ally unexampled What else means all
this cry of discomfort? What else means
all this half-suppreSsed murmur of dis
satisfaction?
do gentlemen suppose that people are
crying out when they suffer no pain? Dc
they suppose that the voice of lamenta-
ton comes up from the homes and houses
of the people merely that they may heal
themselves shrek and cry? Or Is 1t the
truth and is it the fact that the distress
of the country is beyond all historical
comparison in our country, and that to.
day it will require but few more turns
of the wheel to submerge the majority
of the body of the people into hopeless
bankruptcy? So, then, Mr.. President, or
any ground and any view that I am ablt
to take, if we restore the silver dollar
to it's former and accustomed place ir
our legislation, in our coinage and in oul
currency, we are still paying the public
debt and all private debts according to 8
large and full and overlooking measure
of value"