The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1896-08-20
part 1, Forty .nfth Congress, second SEES

| L, az that time, being chairman OF the
Committee on Appropriations, and hav-
Ing my hands over-full during all that
time with work, nevetr read the bill. l
took IL upon the faith Of a prominent
Democrat and prominent Republican
end 1 do not know that 1 voted at all.
There was no call Of the yeas and nays,
and nobody opposed that bill that l Know
Of. 1t was put through as dozens Of bills
are, as my friend and know, in Con-
gress on the faith of the report Of the
chairman Of the COMMITTEES; therefore /
tell you, because IL is the truth, that /
have no knowledge about it. ."--Congres-
sional Record, volume z, part 1, Forty
fifth Congress, second session, page 9S9.
Mr. Bright, of Tennessee, said Of the
law:
"It passed by fraud In the House,
never having been printed In advance,
being substitute for the printed bill (;
never having been read at the clerk 8
desk, the reading having been dispensed
with by an impression that the bill made
no material alteration In the coinage
laws; IL was passed without discussion,
debate being cut off by operation Of the
previous question 1t was passed, to my
certain information, under such ciroum-
stances that the fraud escaped the atten-
ton OF some Of the most watohful as well
as the ablest statesmen In Congress at
that time. Aye sir, IL was a
fraud that smells to heaven. 1t was a
fraud that will stink in the nose Of pos
terity, and for which some persons must
give account in tie day Of retrlbutioh. -
Congressional Record, volume z, part l.,
second session Forty fifth Congress, page
5S4.
Mr.. Holman,i speech delivered in
the House of Representatives July 13,
1875, said:
"I have before me the record Of the
proceedings Of this House on the passage
Of that measure, q record which no man
can read without being convinced that
the measure and the method of It's pas
sage through this House was colossal
swindle.' 1 assert that the measure
had the sanction of this House, and 1t
does not possess the moral force of law ~
Congressional Record, volume 4, part
g. Forty fourth Congress, first session, ap.
pendix page 1853,
Again, on August 8, 1876. he said:
"The original bill was simply bill to
|
The bill Which flnallypassed the Honse,
and which ultimately became a law, was
certainly not read in this House.
''It was never considered before the
House as it was passed Up TO the time
the bill came before this House for final
passage, the measure had simply been
aN.t t,l l.. -. Y L..
lieve use the term correctly now 1t
came from the committee on coinage,
weights and measures The substitute
which finally became law was never
read, and is subject to the charge made
against 1t by the gentleman from Mis-
souri, (Mr. Bland), that 1t was passed by
the House without knowledge Of Is
provisions, especially upon that of coin
| age.
"I myself asked the question of Mr..
| Hooper, who stood Lear where l am nov
standing, whether 1t changed the law In
regard to coinage And the answer of
Mr.. Hooper certainly left the impression
upon the whole House that the subject OF
the coinage was not affected by that bill. ~
Congressional Record, volume 4, part
8, Forty fourth Congress, first session,
page 5237.
Mr.. Cannon, of Illinois, in a speech
made in the House on July 18, 1876,
said:
"This legislation was had in the Forty,
second Congress, February ~, 1878, by
a bill to regulate the mints Of the United
States, and practically abolished silver
as money by falling to provide for the
coinage Of the silver dollar 1t was not
discussed, as shown by the Record, and
neither members of Congress nor the
people understood the scope of the legis
lation.'-I bid, appendix, page 1877.
Mr.. Burchard, of Illinois. in pseech
made in the House of Representatives
ON July 1s, 1876, said;
"The coinage act of 1878, unaccom.
pansled by any written report upon the
subject from any committee, and un.
known to the mem pers of Congress, who,
without opposition, allowed 1t to pass
under the belief, II not assurance, that II
made no alterations In the value or the
current coins, changed the unit of value
from silver to gold, Ibid, page 1850.
Mr.. Kelley, of Pennsylvania, who had
charge of the bill, in speech, made in
the House of Representatives on March
o, 1878, said:
| SIN connection with the charge that
advocated the bill which demonetizsd the
standard silver dollar, say that, though
the chairman of the Committee on Coin
age, was ignorant of the fact that II
would demonetize the silver dollar or OF
its dropping the silver dollar from oul
system of coins, as were those distin'
guished senator's, Messrs. Blaine and
Voorhees,, who were then members Of
the House, and each of whom few days
since interrogated the other; Did you
know 1t was dropped when the bill
passed. No. said MIR. Blaine; die
your No. said Mr.. Voorhees,. do no,
think that there were three members In
the House that knew It, 1 doubt whether
Mr.. Hooper, who, In my absence from
the Committee on Coinage and atten
dance on the Committee on Ways ant
Means, managed the bill, knew it. say
this In justice to him. "-Congression
Record, volume 2, part 2, Forty fifth
Congress, second session, page 1905
Again on May 10, 1879, Mr.. Kelle.
said:
"All can say Is that the Committe
on Coinage, Weights and Measures, WHIT
reported the original bill, were faithful
and able, and scanned Its provisions
closely; that as their organ reported 1t
that 1t contained provision for both th'
standard silver dollar and the trade dol
lar. Never having heard until a Ions
time after It's enactment into law of tn,
substitution In the Senate of the sectior
which dropped the standard dollar,
profess to know nothing of Its history
but am prepared to say that in all th
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