The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1896-08-29
COAAUNlCATtD.
y BI.NETALLIxL

awe -
In .ar lasf xe turniskeSi . number Of
auti,0riti~. ia sb"w flsat the act II Feb.
1873 d~m"nrflzilg silver Wa passed
through t'0ngr~sA snrreptitiOusIy. A.
It il an important raint against the
gold bug Gauge to demonstrate that
. lver was deasooetized by secret, if
not criminal n,~aEs. We will add some
mare authorities 70 the paint in ques-
ton.
Senator Gambling. If New York, wlse
vas q very able nt Inber of ti.e Senate,
and who Mss considered . header .0D
the Republican side IT the Chamber,
in the course of q discuesi0n an the
trade dollar. on th~ 3Cth af March.
1876. asked Senator B6gy. 1t Missouri,
u question in the following language :
"Will the Senator allow mo tn ask
hmm or some other Senator . question I
II it trne that there il now by Law no
American dollar ; and il 40, is it frue
that the efFec, Of this bill il tn make
half dollars and quarter dollars the
only silver coin winch cxn be used ~
legal tender Z"
Here we have the spectacle of .
most distinguished member Of the
American Senate asking, three yeara
after the Law had abolished the coinage
Of the dollar, whether it was indeed
true that tho people Of the Cnitet;
States had no legal dollar. When sncI,
vigiiant statesmen ~ senator COnk-
ling, vas in ignorance of the fact that
silver lad been stabbed in the back,
% to speak, in 1879. how could the
people Of the Union have known the
factf
On the 18th of Feb. 1873, = colloqny
took place between Senator Voorhees,,
Of Indiana, and the distinguished Jas,
6. Blaine, then . Senator from Maine.
The Official record Of what both these
Senator'S said 10 Is follows, and hardly
requires any comment
"Mr Voorhees.I want to ask nv
friend from Maine, whom / am glad to
designate in that way. whether I ma
call him ~ one moro witness to the
fact that it was not generally known
whether silver wss dem0uotixed. Did
he know, % Speaker Of tho House,
presiding ut t:,e time, that the silver
dollar was demonetixed in the bill to
which he al.ndesf
"Ar. Blainc--I did not know any
thing that was in the bill at all. IA
. have before said, little was known or
cared on the subject. And nov 1
should like to exchange questions With
the Senator from Indiana. Who wa
then on tho floor and Vhoae business
i WAS, far more than mine, to know,
because By the designation Of the
House l ~.s TO put questions ; the Sem
ator from Indiana, then ON the floor Of
the House. with his p0wer q . debater.
Was to unfold them to the House. Did
he knowf
"al. Voorhees, very frankly say
that l did mott
We thus have the admission Of
Speaker Blaine and Ma. voorhees,, one
. Republican and the other q Demo-
crat, both occupying high positions in
their respective parties tlat they were
o aware OF tho demonstration Of
silver by the Act OF 1873.
In . speech made in the House Of
Representatives on the 9Th Of March.
1878, Mr.. Kelly, Of Pennsylvania, had
occasion to Comment On the colloQuy
which We have just reproduced. He
festIiies besides very strongly to the
effect that scarcely any one in the
House knew what Was being done ia
the way Of destroying silver, III.
Kelly spoke as follows:
"in connection with the charge that
Iadvocatedt the bill which denonetjsed
the standard silver dollar, cav that.
though the Chairman Of the Commit.
tee on Coinage, l VA igaorant of the
fact that it would dem0neti,e the All.
yer dollar or Of it, dropping tho silver
dollar from our system Of coins. a
were thoso distinguished Senators
Aessrs. Blaine and Voorhees,. who
wsro then members ef the Honee. ana
each OF whom : few days siuce, later
rogated the other: Did you know il
wa dropped when the bill paced r
No. said Mr.. Blame, did your mo,
said Ar. Voorhees, do nOt think
that there were three membera IN the
House that knew il. Idoube vheeher
Mr.. Hooper, who, in ny Absence from
the Conn ittee on Coinage AID attend-
ance on the Commistee on Wave and
Means, managed the bill, knew il. I
cay this in justice to him.
On Nay 10th 1879. Mr.. Kelly Aaa
occsslon again to address the Hopse
and this 10 what he said:
"Aii ! can say 10. that the Commit.
tee on Coinage, Weights aud Measures.
Who reported the original bill, were
faithful and able, aud scanned in pr,.
v'sions closely; that q their organ l
reported It. that it contained provis.
ION for both the standard oliver dollar
aod 3 trade dollar. Never having
heard until : long time after its enncs.