People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1896-07-23
Congressman Grosvenor Talks.

from theTopeka Capitals report of the
speech Congressman Grosvenor of Ohio
made before the Republican League
Of Topeka. During Mr.. Grosvenor's
address G. G. Lee Of, this city asked him
to explain the decentralization of sill
yer in 1873.
The speaker said he would have
never believed that in state like
Kansas, where common school
education was available, he would
find a man who would talk about the
crime of 1873; continuing the speaker
said, docs the gentleman not know
that prior to the decentralization Of
silver in 1873 the United States minis
coined 100000 Of silver? And does
he not know that since 1913 the U. s.
minis have coined 100000, 0OO?"
This was the signal for tremendous
applause. Why did the audience ap-
plaud? Was it for the gall and
audacity Of the speaker untlinchingly
lie in tie presence Of 1000, people or
is it possible that 2,OO0Republicans Of
Kansas could be gathered together,
that were so ignorant as TO believe
the statement.
From 1910 to 1873 inclusive the U.
S. mints coined in silver S94,Ol2,5 S2.
| have not the coinage prior to 1910,
but this country coined all the gold
and silver brought to the minis from
April >, 1892, until the demonetiza-
ton OF silver 10 1873.
There was but very little gold or
silver produced in this country prior
to the conquest Of Mexico by which
we acquired that vast territory
reaching from Kansas to the Pacific
coast and which covers the rich
deposits Of gold aud silver of this
country.
BY act Of Feb. 9, 1893 congress made
coins Of Great Britain, Portugal,
France, Spain, and her dOminiOns, a
legal tender, in payment Of debts,
and later made the coins Of Mexico,
Peru, Chill and Central America a
legal tender,
The law making those foreign coins
a legal tender, made them the money
OF this country to TIE same extent as
was the coins issued from chr minis.
Those foreign coins were in General
circulation, passed current and being
a legal tender there was no object in
having them recOined at our minis
We continued the use Of those for
eign coins as money until the repeaI
of the law that made them a lega
tender, or until 1851.
Mr., Grosvenor speaks Of the coinage
OF $500. 100000 OF silver since the de
mOnetizatiOn Of silver. He shOulC
have explained that $685. 24 O
this was in trade dollars that loul
since disappeared from circulation
that s2,50l ,052 was in Columbia hal
, dollars and sl0,0O5, $50 was in cOlum
: bia quarter dollars and was never In
tended to circulate as money. TIL
number Of silver dollars coined priO
4 to Nov. /, 1894, was s42l, ,4OS, ant
/. of this amount there was held il
y the United States treasury a
: that time 1866, 332,73S leaving bu
S 6,443,67O silver dollars 10 clrcI
lation or 40 amount equal IN s
cents per capita, as shown u III
s secretary's report.
e Why is this vast amount Of siive
S held in the treasury? Secretary Cal
Isle has said that il is because til
t people do not want it 10 circulation
:. Where is the business or labOrin
O man that refuses silver?
b During the panic of 1893, whe
g Carlisle was complaining of the depl,
a tion Of the gold reserve and preparin
Z to issue bonds, the business men {
d New York city were short OF chang
e with which to transact business, an
/, applied to Carlisle to exchange gOl
It for silver dollars, but Carlisle declil
l. ed to make the change claiming thu
# there was no silver dollars in til
treasury except such as had TO
e held for the redemption Of outstant
y ing silver certificates.
IS Then why should Republican
Il boast Of the vast coinage Of silve
s when by law they have locked it u
a Ia the treasury and we'll know that
D cannot 60 into circulation?
It Who is entitled to the credit f
t the ,paSsage Of the Bland act tn;
a required the coinage Of 100000 81
e yer dollars each month? Not the R,
e publicans for they voted against th
!, bill. Why was the Sherman act pa
+ sed: To prevent the coinage of ST
S vec.
v 1t was the Republican party tina
o demonetized silver. A Republica
r president that vetoed a free coinag
t bill, and since 1873 every vote in Cor
r gress has shown the Republican part