Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-08-24
MR.. BLAIfIES SPEECH.

The Editor Of the Register.
A sDeech Of James G. Blaine, OF
Maine, made in the Senate OF the Unlleu
States February TIN, 1878, Is being CIR
crIa-e5 around the city by the west
Virginia Republican State League. }. W.
xir9lebergar. secretary. Mr.. Blaine
STARTS off I'm his speech with these WORDS:
u believe gold and silver coin to be tle
money Of tbe Consitution-indeeu inc
money of the American people anterior
10 he Constitution. which that great
organic law recognized as independent
9f IFS own existence. No power was
conferred on Congress 10 declare tha-
either metal should not be money. Con
gress has, therefore, in my judgment
no power to demonetize silver any more
than IN damone;iZe gold; no more power
ro demoue,ize either than 70 demohe'lAo
bo.b In this statement l am but re-
nearing the weighty dictum OF the nISI
Of constitutional lawyers: 1 am certain
~ of the opinion, said Mr.. Weps'er'
.,r7a- cold and silver at rates fixed by
CONGRESS- constitute the legal standard
of value in this country, and that Meth
or Congress nor the State has authority
m establish or to displace this stand
ard" So far so good. and Mr.. Blame
goes on 10 say that, few persons can
be found. I apprenend, who Will main
tain that Congress possesses the power
70 demonetize BON gold and silver, or
that Congress would be justified In pro
bibiting the coinage of bOth, and yet in
logic and legal construction IL would be
dificult TO show where and why tEN
mower of Congress over silver IS greater
than over gold-greater over either than
over both. If, therefore. silver has been
demone.ized. l am in favor Of remone-
tizing- it. II It's coinage mas been pro-
hibijed. I am In favor Of ordering It 70
be resumed. If It has been restricted, l
am in favor Of ordering it to be en-
larged." Thus far Mr.. Blaine, like the
proyerbial cow. has given a good bucket
ful of milk; but notice how he kicks it
all Over-empties the bucket complete
~. He goes on to say: ITO remOnetize
IL now, as though the facts and circum-
stances Of that day 0S73) were surround
ing Us, is 20 willfully and bindly de
ceive ourselves. II our decentralization
were The only cause for the decline in
tle value Of silver, then reconciliation
would be its proper and ehecual cure.
But other causes quite beyond our con-
troll have been far more potentially op-
erstive than the simple fact that Con-
gress prohibited its further coinage. As
legislators we are bound tOtake cogni-
zance of these causes. The demOne,iza-
ticn Of silver in the great German En-
pire and the cOnSequen, partial or we'll
nigh complete suspension Of coinage in
the Latin Union have been me leading
dominant causes for the rapid decline
in the value Of silver"
After saying that, Il DO not think the
Over-supply of silver has had. in COM
pariSOn with these other causes. an ap-
preciable influence in the decline OF its
value, because Its over-supply with re-
spec, to sold in these latter years has
not been 50 great as was the over-supply
OF gold for many years after the mines
Of California and Australia were opened :
and The oyer-Supply of gold from these
rich sources did not affect the relative
positions and uses of the two metals IN
any European country" He goes on 10
say: Il believe, hen, if Germany were
10 remOneJize silver. and the Kingdom
and States of the Latin Union were 10
open their minis. silver would at once
/ resume lis former relations with gold. &"
Thus YOU see, Mr.. Editor. this great
man, after expressing his opinion that
[ Congress has no power 10 Gemonetize
silver, and quoting Mr. Webster to the
same effect,sJultiiies himself in the dec
iara-ion that if Germany and the King