The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-09-30

tional money, and was to float all over
the: world Unfortunately no senator
seems to have looked the bill over to see
whether Mr.. Sherman told the truth. His
i explanation seemed to render it unneces-
sary. .. -s-.....t
Mr.. Sherman further stated that the bill
also provided for the trade dollar of 40
grains. This was not a substitute for the
other. He, positively stated that they
were both in the bill We have just shown
that he assured the senate that the new
bill provided for a dollar of precisely the
weight, of the French 5-franc piece. He
then added: THE trade dollar has been
adopted mainly for the benefit of the peo-
pie of California and others engaged in
trade with China. That is the only coin
measured by the grain instead of the gram.
The intrinsic value of each is to be stamp
ed upon the coin
Returning after this to the subject of the
3S4-grain dollar he stated that the change
in the weight from Ape grains) had been
recommended by the chamber of com-
merce of New York. and adopteu by GER
tain learned societies. This change was
the adoption of the ratio of 151a to l. He
said it was to make our silver coinage cor
shape and stamp with the coinage of the
associated nations of Europe. who have
adopted international silver coinage" Did
this leave any room to doubt that Mr..
Sherman. above all others, was uphoding
the standard silver dollar and making it
an international coin which would feat
everywhere as it could not do if the legal
tender function We're taken away from it?
no 70 ofc nlor ati &c all
strange that the senators did not scrutin-
ize the bill or have any ground for sus-
picion that it was to work mighty revo-
luton in our monetary system?
SILVER MEN WE'RE UNSUSPICIOUS.
That no suspicion was being entertained
at the time that the silver was being de-
monetized by the bill is evidenced from the
declarations subsequently made in the sem
ate in 1878. On the 18th of February of
that year Senator Thurman said: Il cam
not say what took place in the house. but
know when the bill was pending in the
senate we thought it was simply bill to
reform the mint, regulate coinage, and fix
up one thing and another, and there was
not a single man in the senate. think.
unless member of the committee from
which the bill came, who had the slightest
idea that it was even Il squint toward de-
mOnetizatiOn.'
On the same day Senator Allison said:
But when the secret history Of this bill
comes to be told it will disclose the fact
that the house of representatives intended
to coin both gold and silver, and intended
to place both metals upon the French re-
lation instead of our own, which was the
true scientific position on the subject in
1873
On the 10th of January Senator Beck
said 1T the bill demonetizing silver
never was understood by either house of
congress. I say that with the full knowl-
edge of the facts. No newspaper reporter,
and they are the most vigilant men 1 ever
saw in obtaining information, discovered
that it had been DONE
In McPhersons Handbook of Politics.
for 1874 page 13D appears a letter from
President Grant to Mr.. Cowdery, dated
eight months after the passage of the de-
monetization act, in which he discussed
silver as being a standard of value, clear
ly proving that he was unaware that he
had approved bill in which silver had
been demonetized. This letter has been in
print on the authority of Mr.. Mcpherson
for % years. and it is rather late to call it
into question, as has been attempted this
year for the first time.
SHERMAN'S ABUSE OF CONFIDENCE.
From the record, which 1 have faithfully
reproduced. it is impossible to reach any
other conclusion than that the confidence
of the house was abused by Mr.. Hooper,
that the confidence Of the senate was abus-
ed by Mr.. Sherman. and that by their joint
efforts the most important piece of legis
lation Of the century was carried through
congress by stealth. and the double stand
ard. which had existed by the will Of the
people for more than so years, was taken
away from them without their consent
or knowledge. in the interest of aliens, by
the manipula ton herein described. The
men who did this work did it furtively and
fraudulently. because they knew that if
submitted either to the people or to con-
sress. its overwhelming defeat would have
been insured.
This story is long one. but | have not
found myself able to cOnfinc it within any
less space. In what 1 have said of the
crime of 1873, and of those who committed
it, / have done exact justice. for l have
measured their conduct by the merciless
test of their own public record, and have
pointed to the pages where it can be found.
l am very truly yours,
GEORGE c. GORHAM.