The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1896-08-28
Free Coinage of Silver.

The following letter has been ad-
dressed to the Spokane Spokesman.
Review by Gov. Mcconnell of Idaho
1t is fearless and able exposition oi
the silver question and is doubly val
liable, coming as it does from the CHIEF
executive of state, which has as one
of its senators, the bolter Dubois:
Gentleman-I notice in you issue o.
August 10 three questions proposed by
Mr.. G. w. Simmons, of Kellogg, this
state, which you have undertaken te
answer.
AS you have invited correspondence
in your columns on the political stu
tion, if you will kindly grant me tina,
privilege, / would like to correct you
in your answer.
To the first question, "Does not the
United States government accept sill
yer in payment of all customs, taxes
and public duties?" you answer that
"the United States accepts silver GER
tifcates in payment of customs, taxes
and all public dues. It does not ac-
cept silver dollars"
If this was true, it would be sur
prising condition of affairs. A silver
certificate is merely promise to pay
upon presentation certain number
of silver dollars Under your inter
probation, the promise to pay wonld be
accepted by the customs officers, but
the payment itself would be rejected
AS I presume you intend to be fair
and give correct answers to the ques-
tons propunded to you, if you will
refer to the act of February %, 1878
you will find its title to be "An act to
authorize the coinage of the standard
silver dollar and to restore its legal
tender character" After stating it.
weight and fineness, the language is al
| follows:
"They shall be legal tender at theil
nominal value for all debts and dues
public and private, except when other
wise expressly stipulated in the con
| tract"
1t is we'll enough, perhaps, to sa,
! that without the latter clause, the acl
would not be constii utional, becaus.
congress has no right to deprive any
citizen of his constitutional right te
enter into private agreement or con
tract, which is not in violation of law
You wind up your answer as fol
lows:
"Why juggle further with this point
The facts could not be palmer. The
gold reserve is held in the treasury ex
clusively for the RECEPTION of United
States and treasury notes. 1t is never
paid out in exchange for silver dsllars
or silver certificates. Silver certificates
are redeemed exclusively in silver dol
lars, and silver dollars are redeemed in
nothing. These facts have been
thoroughly established in letters and
kilograms from the highest officials ol
the treasury department.. Any one
who questions their correctness car
inquire of the treasurer himself"
This is not the first time such 8
statement has appeared in your paper
The intent of the answer appears to
be to lead the public to believe that
the present silver dollar because sit il
redeemable in nothing"
OF course silver dollar is not re
deemable in gold. Why should it be-
1t is money of final redemption, the
same as $40 gold piece. Would yor
pretend to say that a $40 gold piece il
redeemable in any other money? Ger
tainly not. Would you pretend te
say, if we restored the fee and un
limited coinage Of silver, that the
silver dollars would be redeemable in
gold? Please answer these questienl
through the medium of some of your
financial editors.
/ think the time has arrived wher
every citizen has right to express
himself on this subject, and I think
the public has right to expect fail
and unequivocal statements from tht
newspaper so long as they undertake
to answer questions.
In my judgement, when the bolterl
from the republican party and th'
populists and democrats claim to be
| the only silver men in the country
[ they arrogate good deal 10 themselves
Personally, have always been an ad
vocate of the free and unlimited coin
age OF silver, and am today. be
| lever that this nation alone might re
store the white metal to its formel
position. provided in doing 90 we en-
| acted protective and reciprocity laws