The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-08-17

| "Nt IANNlNtNtI NV Nal9 NlItlullJ "ubIlV
by Il hill frahicd In the treasury depart
m"nt while Mr.. Boutwell, was secretary.
II was thoroughly considered by the ex-
prrts OF that department and wns prlnt-
ed and submitted 10 al persons In tho
United States who were supposed 10 hp
familiar with the coinage laws,
THIS bill "WnANpcndIng In Congress for
three yCnra-was carefully considered
IN both houses ana special attention
wag called TO tho omission OF the Il2A
grains silver dollar which was never In
the bill 1T any stage aud tho reasons for
thIp omission given. II WIS finally de-
lermincd ut the urgent reQueSt OF mem.
bcrs from the Pacific coast to Insert
among the silver coins u trade dollar
containing 400 grains OF standard silver,
but this dollar waH made like the minor
coins. n legal tender for S only. There
was but n yen and nay vote on the
bill and that wac on the proposition to
repeal the charge made by the mint for
the coinage Of gold. | voted against !ta
repeal The bin passed both houses and
became n law February Il. 1873. By
practically n unanimous vote OF both
parties and wnB specially supported and
voted for by the members and senator's
from the silver states.
This has been called The 'crlmc Of
1884, and as the bill was under my
charge In the senate. I was held to be
the chief criminal. II waS, In fact, n
vie" measure OF public policy. carefully
discussed aud considered during three
years.
When we fest the cutlery against this
net with the sober facts shown by OIL
clal records, II appears simply ludl-
GtOuS. The total number of silver dol
lnra coined from i792 to 1879 was S.05I.-
2aS, while the number of trade dollars
Issued under the coinage net OF 1878 con-
talninG ~ grains more silver than the
old dollar was n, 9Gi.g2 and the number
OF standard silver dollars coined, under
the Blnnd-AlllBon net OF 1873 was $780,
7gO.0il, or 81 times the number Issued
before 1873.
1t IL strange that he very men who
supported and urged the coinage law Of
1879 and demanded the exclusive COIN
nEe OF gold, are tho very men who now
demand the free coinage OF silver and
dcnuunce NJ ''goldItcs" and robbers"
nil those who believe IN the coinage OF
both gold and silver.
II has been said that the dropping
or the silver dollar In the coinage act OF
1873 was surreptItiously done. This
charge IL shown TO be false by the de-
! buNNb VI N'AlhlNSp ~ NSl'NAAiAy " tllE
declarations OF the men who now make
the charge. Sixteen months after the
passage OF that act, Senator Jones, OF
Nevada, In n debate In the senate June
II, 1914. said:
81 am opposed to any proposition,
come In whatever form II may. that at
tempts TO override what God himself
has made for money. | believe the soon.
er we come down 10 n purely gold stand
ard the better 1t Will be for the coun-
try"
Senator Stewart, OF Nevada, In the
same debate, on the 18th Of June, 1874.
said:
Sir. the laborIng man and the pro-
duccr Is entitled to have his product
and his labor measured by the same
standard OF the world that measures
your national debt. Give him
such a standard, give him money as
you require from him. You require II
from the producer. You require from
the labOring man gold to pay the In
terest on your national debt. which Is
right, which cannot be avoided II you
mean to save national honor: but then
give him the same money with which
TO pay that debt"
Effect or Free silver.
1t Is sometimes said OF creditors that
they are blood thirsty Shylocks, arls-
t~ocrats, blood. suckers. extortioners.
It may be that Their are among
money lenders some men who merit
these eptthcts, but the great body OF
the creditors OF our country are among
the thrifty, Industrious and intelligent
men and women OF every -communl-
ty. One great body of creditors here
Is the $4,000 Union soldiers, their wild
ows and orphans who are creditors
OF the United States to the amount OF
over $40. 000.0Q 0 u year for services
and sacrifices in The Union army. II
would be an act OF pertldy and mean
ness beyond expression for this great
country TO pay them with money OF
less purchasing power than gold
coin merely because the ovcr produce
ton Of silver bullion contained in a
silver dollar.
There Is another class OF creditors
that the free coinage Of silver will
greatly injure. II Is the dcpositors in
savings institutions and kindred or
GanlZatIons, who. according to official
statistics. number nearly 100000 peo-
pie and whose deposits amount 10
more than eighteen hundred million
dollars. VIII you cheat them by re-
ducing the value and purchasing pow
er OF the dollars they have deposited?
Free coinage will also vine out near
" onc-hnlf OF the value of life insur-
ance which rrovIdent people OF the
United States have paid TO secure In
case OF their death some D and
protection to wife and children. It will
affect iniurtously the multitude OF
clerks and employcs who deprnd upon
monthly pay and will reduce the M
chasing mower OF NIL salaries of officers
and cmpIAycs in the hubble service of
the TTnIted States and OF every state,