The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-05-11
ERRORS OF POPULISM.
Did Ernest seyd, With esOO, 600, Bribs
CongFe8 60 Demonetise stlverf
Forged Evidence.
oopyr.rht. 1sse hr a. ~. cr.yen.

~sI8 0k the ufO&t Wtccly c3CUl2tc0 8S8tS-
ments made by Populisf speakers and
.ta,istic conspiracy against silver was
formed. and that IN pursuance OF this con-
spiracy, In the winter OF lSsa-S Ernest
Seyd. representing English and German
hsnkerA came to this country with an
immense sum Of money and bribed con-
Er~ss TO eemonetixe silver.
This charge can be best set forth In the
words OF Ignatius Donneliy. probably thu
most eloquent and entertaining dema-
scxue in tho Pcpuiist party. in q speech
al waterville. MINI. August Ia 1859:
Now, then. my friends this il what
these terrible conspirators against man
kind saw. and 80 they persuaded Germany
ana France TO come together and per-
suaded Germany to demonetiss silver be-
cause Germany had taken from France all
her gold. and then this Ernest Seyd came
over here and got the United States to
follow in their line. Some people may say.
oh, well. that can't be possible my
friend. a man named Reckennacken. llv-
ms in Denver, . mercantile man. went
eefore the clerk Of the supreme court
and made oath to an AFFIDAVIT, and 1t has
been published all over this country, IN
which he swears no was In England and
dined at the house Of this Ernest Seyd.
was his intimate friend In London. and
r'~sAA ha~ SStaS Nh S0S4OH lQTHcu upon WutCu
was the more corrupt and rotten, the En-
gdsh parliament or American congress.
Ernest Seyd told him in his own house
Just what he had done with that particu-
lar 10000 Of English gold. bought up the
congress. and that II was the rottenest
body of men on earth"
In thu exuberance Of hts zeal Donnely
does not give correctly the name OF tho
man who made the affidavit His uame 10
Luckenback.
In support Of this charge ropui,sts offer
three proofs"
Tho nrst one. showing that Mr.. Seyd was
IN this country when the bill for the de-
naonetixation Of silver was before con-
Eress. 10 an alleged quotation from the
Congressional Globe OF April Cor is,.
Isl. Mr. Hooper. OF Massachusetts,,
was chairman Of the committee Of
coinage. weights and measures. and had
charge Of the bill. This alleged quotation,
varying slightly in minor details In diff
ferent Populist publications. represents
Nj. Hooper as saying: The bill was pre-
pared two years ago. and has been sub
united 10 careful and deliberate examina-
ton. 1t has the approval Of nearly all
the mint experts Of the country. and sane
ton OF the secretary OF the treasury. Ern-
est Seyd. OF London. distinguished writ
er ana bullionist. Is now here. and has
given great attention to the subject of
mints and coinage. after examining the
nrst drafts Of this bill. made various sem
sible suggestions. which the committee
accepted and embodied In the hill'' %.
An examination of the Congressional
Globe shows that on the occasional re-
ferred to Mr.. Hooper spoke as follows:
''The bill was prepared two years ago,
and has been submitted to careful and de-
liberate examination 1t has the approx
al Of nearly all the mint experts OF the
country, and the sanction of the secretary
of the treasury. Mr.. Ernest Seyd. OF
London. q distinguished writer. who has
given great attention to the subject Of
mints and coinage. after examining tho
first draft of the bill. furnished many val
liable suggestions which have been incor-
porated in this bill" CD.
1t viii be noticed that the essential
words. lis now here" relied upon to prove
the presence Of Mr.. Seyd in this country,
ara not in the remarks Of Mr.. Hooper AZ
given in the Globe. The words ascr.bed to
him are not TO be found anywhere In the
record OF the discussion. In other words.
some lying scoundrel, knowing that the
people generally do not have access to the
Congressional Globe OF 1874 has inserted
the words, 'is now here" into the remarks
OF Mr.. Hooper, as found in the Globe, and
then published the forgery as evidence that
Mr.. Seyd was In this country at that time.
Among those who publish this forged
quotation are James b. Weaver and En-
cry. whose works are considered standard
by all Popuists CD.
Tho second proof is an alleged quota
ton from the Bankers Magazine OF August,
1873 This quotation is here given as EN-
cry gives Il: 'sIn 1877. silver being demonet-
ICED in France. England and Holland, q
capital Of 100000 was raised. and Ernest
Seyd. OF London, was sent to this country
with this fund. as agent of the foreign
bondholders and capitalists. to effect the
same object demonstration Of silver),
which was accomplished" 90.
Probably not one person In a million re-
members ever to have seen the Bankers
Magazine OF August, 1873. 1t would be i'm
possible for a person having access only to
libraries of ordinary size to verify or
disprove the accuracy of an alleged quota
ton from It. Mr.. A. r. Spofford librarian
of congress. Is authority for the statement
that the alleged quotation cannot be found
either in the New York or the London
Bankers Magazine OF August, 1879 (5). In
other words. Populists leaders again resort
to forgery 10 sustain thcir absurd claim.
Is 1t not about time for those who have
been accepting without question the state
ments OF Populist leaders to begin to read
standard reliable works relating to our
financial history, and ind out how far
astray they have been led by designing and
crafty demagogues?
One reasonably well acquainted with the
coinage history OF other countries would
at once notice the absuriity of Emery's
alleged quotation: for It was not until 1875
that Holland adopted the gold standard.
and France did not stop coming silver TIL
1876.
The third proof Is tho afsdav1t Of
90.
This states that in 1874 Luckenback was
IN London. the intimate friend and guest Of
Ernest Seyd: that Ernest Seyd after p,edg-
ing Luckenhack TO secrecy as long as no
ernest Seyd1 should live. told him that
he came to America ''in the winter ~
ls12-s with 10000 and bribed congress to
silver.
There are several considerations that
stamp this affidavit as false. and on a
level with the forgeries tina. have been
noticed.
The SON OF Ernest seyd has written .
letter denying the charge and asserting
that his father was never In this country
after is5s- The main part OF the letter Is
as follows:
"Sir: Statements have baen circu,a.sa
for some time past I'm the press of the
United States that the lat. Ernes, seva
went TO Washington in 1877 At the in
stance OF powerful clique of fnanc,er.
with aoc"o, In order 70 bribe members
OF congress 10 vote for the demone,,zafion
OF silver. trust you viii allow me TO a.
sure you the story is an entire fabrica-
ton. MI. Seyd never having been IN the
states since 1876. The absurdity OF this
myth Is the more apparent; as my father
had been an ardent champion OF silver
aud was the first 10 take up the silver
cause In England against the prevailing
doctrinism here, as his numerous works
on the subject will show.
Surely. sir. the silver party In thu