The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1896-06-06
After March 4, 1880. Har-

rison having been elected president.
Cleveland went to New York and
pretended to go into the practice OF
law, but | believe he was takino les.
sons from the money sharks, as to
how he could do them the greatest
good, and consequently the greatest
harm to the people.
During this time the people we're
ag'tating the free coinage question
without much effect. They talked
for free coinage, but voted against it.
During Cleveland's four years / IN
New York he wrote that famous let
ter to Senator Lindsay of Kentucky,
in which he stated that when the
Bland bill, requiring the coinage of
s2,0OO,OOO of silver per month, was
passed, he confidently believed it
would drive all the gold out of the
country, but he was happy to state
that he was mistaken, that it did not
have that effect; but still believed a
full free coinage bill if passed would
have that effect. That letter was in
tended to deceive the people, and it
was a
After reading it we thought he
would sign a free coinage bill if one
should be passed by congress. Dur
ing the Harrison administration the
question of free coinage of silver was
still pressed by its friends in con-
gress and those opposed to it (the
money power) were fearful lest it
should pass. In 1890, John Sherman,
arch traitor to the people, introduced
what is known as the Sherman law,
and succeeded in having it passed by
congress. 1t provided that the gov
eminent must buy $4,000 0 ounces
of silver each month and that the sec
rotary Of the treasury should coin so
much thereof as he should deem ex-
pedient. The secretary deemed it
e%xpedient not to coin any of it, in
consequence Of which the price of
silver fell so low that most Of u
mines were obliged to stop, and
many miners were thrown out of en-
ployment. The Sherman law was
bad. 1t was intended to be bad. 1t
was intended to prevent, and did at
that time prevent the passage of a
free coinage bill; and saved, as Sher-
man said, the necessity Of a presiden-
tial veto.
Upon C~leveland's second inaugur-
alton as president, the democrats
tried to induce him to con-
gless in extra session to. reduce the
tariff, and to repeal the purchasing
clause of the Sherman law, WHICH
was merely storing silver bullion in
the treasury vault, o u of which was
being coined. The president refused
to convene congress for that purpose
but on the 18th day of August, 1893,
he called an extra session of that
body for the purpose alone of repeal
ing the Sherman law. A majority of
congress was in favor of the free coin
age of silver, and they refused to re
peal the Sherman law without it be
replaced by a free coinage law. A
majority of the senate stood bravely
against repeal for three months. Ev-
cry one admitted that the law was
bad. But the silver men hoped to
get a free coinage law in its stead.
The gold men employed every pos
sible means to induce senators to
vote for the repeal, until finally it
was agreed to, and sanctioned by the
president, that if the senate would
pass the repeating act, a free coinage
bill should be Immediately introduce
ed and passed. But after the repeal,
congress adjourned without doing
anything for silver.
Just previous to this, England had
closed the minis of India, and the
price of silver fell to a point lower
than it had ever been before. Many
of u mines suspended operations
and have remained closed. Every
man who reads, and tries to inform
himself upon the subject, knows that
our government has been controlled
by corporations and the money power
for the past thirty years, that each
year they are more and more aggres-
sive, and that the present condition