The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1896-08-12
SOLVING Amrsrrnr

HVANAN0 - mNAIhltNs
"The History Of Demonstration "bv
Bronson G. Keeler throws food OF
light on what has been a mystery, says
the Dispatch The country, long
incredulous OF the claim that congress
men voted TO demoneuze silver with
ont knowing it. has come 60 accept the
statement as truth This conviction
has grown out OF the fact, proved be-
yond doubt, that in tho debate OF the
house bill as amended by the senate
finance committee, which took place
Jan. II, 1873, the senate amendment
demonetizing silver, the most impor-
tant and, in fact, the only vital clause
in the measure, was not debated at all.
Tho debate waged around minor points
in the discussion, but not a word was
spoken either for or against that sec
tion in the bill which destroyed silver
as redemption money and established
gold as the single standard OF values.
Much has been said in attempted ex-
planation OF this strange fact which is
proved by the official records a proof
bill Of the measure as IL came from the
house TO the senate, with the amend
ments proposed by the senate commit
tee, was upon every senator's desk.
One Of these explanations Is that the
decentralization section was skipped in
the reading by the CLERK But how
could such an omission have escaped
the attention Of all the senators pres
ent? or how could it have been over
looked by the presiding officer, who
was directing the reading Of the pro-
posed amendments by number? The
second explanation is that Of Senator
Sherman, who says the demonet2a-
tion clause was debated, but that the
official stenographer, sin the confusion
there may have been, dropped ii out
The third explanation, and the only
one which explains. is that of Mr..
Keeler, who says and proves that the
proof sheets containing the house bill
together with the amendments pro-
posed by Mr.. Sherman's senate
finance committee To do this he re-
produces the pages Of the senate
proof bill containing all the sections
under debate BY this reproduction
he establishes beyond doubt the fact
that page 10 of the proof bill, fur
nished to senators for their guidance
in the consideration and discussion ~
the measure, and on which the demon.
etizaticn section should have appeared
in its regular order, was not in the
pamphlet In other words, the page
which follows page o in the pamphlet
is not page 10, but page IL.
| The section OF the amended bill in
which the Sherman committees de-
monetizing measure was concealed
was numbered (16) 10 in its numerical
order. Mr.. Keeler goes extensisel
into the system Of numbering and let
tering of committee amended bills
under discussion in parliamentary bod
les, to show how senators could have
been led to account for the absence OF
sec. (l6) IS. IL they had noticed it, on
the understanding that it was pro-
posed TO strike 1t out while with the
house proposition before them. accom-
panied by the demonetizing substi-
tute proposed by the sherman commit.
mittee, they could not be so deceived.
While it is impossible here TO follow
him through the presentation Of evi.
dence and argument by which he
proves his case, it is enough to say
that he proves 1t, thoroughly and com
rletely.
A bit of strong circumstantial evil
dence is afforded IN the Congressional
Record, showing the senate amend
ments in their order. clerk, in MAX
ing out the list, has located sections
on page II not found there as doc
tored" in the proof bill, but which
would have been there under a fair
and honest arrangement.
Mr. Keeler claims to have proved a
conspiracy, with John sherman as
chief consprator. Those who care
fully read his book will agree with
him.