The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-07-11

really been the metallic unit since 1884
And this was the avowed intention Of
the act of 1853.
The truth was that in 1872 the silver
dollar was worth for bullion 3A cents
more than the gold dollar and that sill.
YER dollars had not been in circulation
for many years. AS Congressman
Hooper said on April 6, 1872, when dis
cussing the silver dollar: 1T does not
circulate 70 in commercial transac-
lions with any country, and the con-
venience of these manufacturers in this
respect a better be met by supplying
small stamped bars of the same stand.
ard, avoiding the useless expense Of
coming the dollar for that purpose"
And Mr.. Kelley, who is reported as
having said afterward that he did not
know that the bill omitted the standard
silver dollar" said on this same day:
ut is impossible to retain the double
standard. The values of gold and silver
continually fluctuate. You cannot de-
termine this year what will be the rela-
tive values of gold and silver mex year.
LiSN "ClC 4iilCCA W olS d SlFOIl LII
ago. They are sixteen to one now"
Hence all experience has shown that
you must have one standard coin which
shall be a legal tender for all others,
and then you may promote your domes-
tic convenience by having a subsidiary
coinage of silver, which shall circulate
in all parts of your country as legal
/ 4o,lo, &C., y.-.,4o1 ,r,o,,,4 o-1 -
redeemed at its face value by your gov
eminent"
In another place in the same speech
Mr.. Kelley said: Every coin that is
not gold is subsidiary"
Even Mr.. Stewart, then as now a
senator from Nevada, said on'February
90, 1874:
by this process we shall come to
specie basis. and when the laboring
man receives a dollar it will rave the
purchasing power of a dollar and he
will not he called upon to do what is
impossible for him or the producing
classes to do. figure upon the exchanges,
figure upon the fluctuations, figure upon
the gambling in New York. But he
will know what his money is worth.
Gold is the universal standard of the
world. Everybody knows what a dol
lar in gold is worth"
The remarks of Mr.. Kelley in the
house in 1872 and those of Senator
Stewart in 1874 show that at that time,
before the tremendous output of silver
turned mems heads. there was practi.
cally undivided opinion on the subject.
The bill had beer before congress three
years, it had been repeatedly discussed.
there was nothing new or startling in
it, and hence there was no call for any
extended notice of its passage.
But the facts are seen to be that the
bill was passed openly and honestly.
1t embodieS the principles of sound
mintage, and it undoubtedly saved us
from going to Il silver basis on the re-
sumption of specie payments. And,
therefore, the men who framed it and
those who passed it deserve and Will
receive the grateful thanks of our-
selves and our posterity.
After becoming acquainted with the
facts, how ridiculous seems the follow
ing statement from Coins Financial
School: In the language of Senator
Daniel. of Virginia, it (thc act of 1879
seems TO nave gone through congress
Ike the silent tread of a cat" Yet
this is but a sample of the false state
mcnts made by most of the leading sill
v~cTites. The following summary of pro-
cedure indicates how like the silent
tread of n cat" the act of 1873 stole
through congress-: