People's voice., 1896-06-25
ny VaIedictory to the Republican
Party.

act of 1874, aided by the Democratic
party, violated the constitution and
is an open advocate of the violation of
law.
At the time silver was dem?netized
had we a constitutional legal tender
money? If so, what was it?
The constitution only can settle
these questions see constitution, arti-
cles TO y; section 10 and section 81:
No state shall make anything but
gold and silver coins a tender in pay
ment Of debts"
Gould you transpOSe this sentence
in any way to make it stronger, or to
weaken it? Could it even BY torture
be construed to mean anything but
that both gold and silver are recOg-
niled and made legal tender money
by the constitution:
If this position IS not true will some
gentleman who denies it and juStiaes
the acts OF the Republican party in
this behalf, tell Us undsr what law
gold and silver was a legal tender
money from the adoption Of the con-
stitutIOn, September Il. l7S7, up to
1872, when the congress had its first
action effecting fuarce five years af.
terward?
1t must be true that the constitu-
tiOn and not congress clothed silver
with legal tender power.
Now if the constitution clothed sill
yer with legal tender power Congress
had no right to take legal tender
power out Of it without the people
mot the congress- having abrOgated
or amended the constitution in that
regard. Now | submit that no such
change or amendment to the cOnstitu.
ton has ever been proposed or ratified,
that no such question has ever been
before the American people.
BY the act Of 1872 congress exercised
all the power it had as to financial
legislation.
A financial structure having been
reared in the constitution, the chief
cornerstone Of which was gold and
silver, by providing for the coinage of
money and by making gold and silver
legal tender money. The congress
being advised by Washington, Jeffer-
son and other revolutionary fathers
proceeded by an act to carry out its
details and fixed a unit Of value, nam
ing it dollar" Congress made this
unit Of silver, said it should contain
37l4 grains of pure silver, that, when
reduced to standard fnenesS should
weigh 4l2i grains troy, that it should
be worth 100 cents in the payment of
debts or in the purchase Of merchan-
disc. Thus in the act Of 1892 the gov
ernment of the United States solemn
ly proclaimed and published to the
world that it would receive at its
mintS all the silver presented (suita-
bic to coinagel and pay a full legal
tender dollar, worth 100 cents for ev-
cry 4l2t grains of the same and this
without restriction Of time or quanti-
ty in which the silver was to be deliv-
cred.
This agreement on the part of the
government in 1872 induced men to
exchange homes Of luxury and ease in
the east for those Of privation, hard
ship and danger incident to wild
west life. By this act the gov
ernment induced its people to expend
their labor and money in sinking
shafts, in tunneling mountains and in
the purchase and erection Of costly
machinery.
BY this agreement of the govern
ment it induced its people tobuild up
business cities and homes in hearing
of the lions roar and in reach Of the
Indi ms tOmahawk. Under such a
promise the government sent them
under such hard conditions. They
lived and labored, developing one of
the greatest resources Of our common
country.
The miner, with perfect faith in
his government, never thinking that
the time would come when it would
take the money function out of his
property which it had induced him to
acquire by its act of 1892.
And many who had spent a lifetime
in the procurement of this property,
the great incentive tOits procurement
being Its money function, the assur-
ance by the government that it could
not be worthless to him than as stated
by the act Of 1872, awoke late in the
afternoon Of life to find that his silver
had been demonetized, that it was no
longer money, but commodity, and as
such had been bulled and beared until
his once true values had been reduced
TO half, and the remainder of an un-
certain and unreliable character.
Certainly ali who are entitled 20
candOr will admit that rho etonpocxo