The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-10-21
For State Senator-First District,
5 OLIVER P.sMARSHALL, +
OF Hancock County.
A worn-out seyd Fal.eho,oa.

a.
At the beginning of the campaign a
good deal was said about 1Ernest Seyd.
an Engllshman, having confessed that
he came over to this country with a
British corruption fund OF s5Oo.00o with
which he secured the passage OF the ac.
Of 1873 dropping from our. coinage the
standard silver dollar. {;
The story was used by, some persons
who believed 1t to be true. When 1t was
shown that II was not true. that Mr..
Seyd was not in the country while the
! act was under consideration and that he
advised strongly against dropping the
Z standard silver dollar. honest persons
/ on; the free silver side refused to make
any. further use of the clumsy story.
The Register, however, returns to its
mutton and gives full credit to the silly
3 and worn-out fabrication. The simple
facts In the case are of record. Mr..
Z Hooper, chairman of the committee on
coinage; weights and measures, sent to
Mr.. seyd a copy of the bill which be-
came the act OF 1873 and asked his Views
4 as those of a recognized expert. Copies
were sent to other experts.
@ In a letter dated London, February II,
1872, Mr.. seyd gave his views at great
length. He advised that It would be n
! serious mistake to drop the coinage OF
the standard silver dollar. The follow
& ing extracts will show the spirit OF Mr..
seyd's advice:
.'As this new bill presumably repeals
all previous eractments. suppose that
4 the total abolition of the silver dollar is
Contemplated. In my book CSugges-
tions) I enter fully into the discussion
3 OF this matter and show the gigantic
consequences to International as well as
national trade through the demonetlza-
/ tlon. OF silver to which the United States
would thus lend n helping hand and for
a number OF years this subject of the
abolition of silver as tender coin has oc-
cupied the attention OF European econo-
mlsts. 1t Is the question OF the age, and
takes precedence of every other matter
4 involved In monetary science. -.
You yourself, in your letter to Mr..
Latham, referring to my book, make
y the remark: AS to the theory OF the
double valuation, do not understand
L it, infer from this that you have re-
manned stranger to the controversy.
that you have not yet formed an opinion
10 the merits of IT. and that you have
framed your bill in favor OF absolute
gold valuation according to that which
has been OF late the practice In the
Il United States II not the law. Permit
me to beg that you Will first Investigate
the question OF double versus single val
uatlon. Chapter III OF my book ('suG-
gcstlonsD opens the question; Appendix.
y, Notes VIII Up. POD, the consequences IT
\ the gold valuation. and TX Up. 212) the
4 injustice OF the gold valuation. Treat
! the matter in its international and ma
tIonal aspects, and they may furnish
you sufficient materials for reflection.
sc 5.fJ
Apart from the theory. Why should
America have given UP her silver dollar?
The cause OF It's disappearance from cir
+ cula,lon Is due to the original error OF
s there being too much silver IN the piece
/ (sce p. g. OF ,suggestlons). That cause
would have been removed ,irthc dollar
I weighed 400 grana, that being the true
proportion Of / to l5H gold to silver. In
3 stead OF 412h os by the old law. Why
SHOULD It not be reintrqluccd at lta true
4 full weight OF 400 Grains and Pectpe