The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1896-10-15
THE CRIME OF 1873.
What IL Really Was, and How 10 Came
To Be Committed.

"hht IL hontiy was, ana How IL Came
To Be Committed.
IL Is alleged that the law of 1873 was en-
acted surroptitiously. Mr.. Bryan is quoted
rs having said that the free coinage men
only ask for a restoration Of THAT system
that we had until IL was stricken down in
the darkness without discussion" Within
the last ten years tho facts of the legisla.
tive history Of that law have been pub
lishcd over and over again. They are TO
bc found in the report Of the comptroller
Of the currency for 1876 page l7O; in Mac
phcrson's Political Manual for 1890 page
l67, and in Sound Currency" volume
III, No. 13. !. The bill was before congress
three years, was explained and debated
again and again.
The fact that the silver dollar was
dropped was expressly pointed out. 1t is
not now justiflnble for any man who
claims to bo honest and responsible to as.
sert that II was passed sin the dark and
without discussion" Tho fact In that no.
body cared aboutit. IL is noteworthy that
the net is not in "Macpherson's Manual"
for 1874. II was not thought to be Of any
importance. 1t was not until after the
panic Of 1873 that attention began to be
given to the currency. To that I, who
write, can testify, since tried In vain be-
fore that time 70 excite any interest In the
subject was once In the gallery Of the
house Of representatives when question
Of coinage was before the house counted
those members who, as far ss could
judge, were paying any sttentiol. There
were six. What Is 1t necessary to do In
such case In order TO prevent the ola. n,
twenty-five years later, whom eoun I .ss
interests have vosted under the law, that
the law Is open to ''rsversal" becaa . It
was passed ''in the darkr'
How can Law be passed through con-
gress surreptitiouslyf We have Indeed
heard Of bills boing 'smugsled through"
In tho confusion attending tho last hours
Of the session, or an amendment. or under
misleading title, etc. There are the rules
Of order, however, by which all legislation
Is enacted. All laws which get through
the mill arc equally valid. There mover has
been and neyor can be any distinction
drawn between them according to their
Legislative history. In tho present case
there was not sho slightest manoeuvre or
trick, nor is there even room to trump up
nm allegation Of the kind.
1t is said that "tho people" did not know
what was being done. How do they ever
know what Is being doneY There Is all tho
machinery of publicity, and II Is all at
work II people do not heed land of course
In nearly all cascs they do mott whose fault
is itY WHO'S responsible TO go 30 the 10, ,OO0,-
600 voters individually and make sure that
they heed, lest twenty-five years later
somebody may say that the fact that they
did not heed lays down q justification for
u new project which certainly Is "a crime"
In the new sense which IL given to that
word hsre2
The act of 1873 did not affect any rights
or interests. II took away an option which
had existed since 1894, but had never bcen
used, and for ten years before this aot was
passed had sunk entirely out Of sight un-
der paper money imitation. Secretary
Boutwell,, when no first brought, tho mat
ter to the attention Of congress In 1870, ex-
planned the propo sd legislation ms codl-
flcation OF existing coinage laws Later
1t took the shape OF = complsts simplifi-
cation Of existing law, history and fact,
I'm order to put The coinage on the simplest
and best system as basis for resumption.
As we had then no coin, We had free
hand TO put the system on the bost basis,
there being no vested rights or interests
to be disturbed. That this was a wise and
sound course TO pursue under the circum-
stances Is unquestlonable.
Three years later, by the rise In green
backs and the fall in silver II came about
that il2l9 grains OF silver, nine-tenths
fine, was worth little less than green
back dollar. The old option would, there
fore, n still existent, have been an advan-
tage to debtors. Complaint and clamor
for the restoration OF the option then began,
but To give such an option, after the mar
kct had changed, would be playing with
loaded dice, The European countries
which still retained the option abolished
IL as soon as silver began TO fall, and we,
II we had retained IL open until that time,
ought to have done the same.-Professo or
Sumner In Harper's Weekly.