Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-09-17

: and quarter dollars the only silve
coin which can be used as lega
! tender2"-Congressional Record vol
ume !, part 8, rty-fourth Congress
first session, page 2062.
Senator Allison, on February Il
1878 when the bill (H. R. lO93) d
authorize the free coinage Of th
standard silver dollar and to restor
its legal-tender character was unde
consideration, observed:
"But when the secret history o.
this bill of 1873 comes to be told, i
will disclose the fact that the Hous'
of Representatives intended TO coiI
both gold and silver, and intended t
place both metals upon the French
relation instead of our own, which
was the true scientific position with
reference TO this subject in-lS73, bu
that the bill afterwards was doctored
if l may use that term and | use il
in no offensive sense, of course
Mr. Sargent interrupted him anc
asked him what he meant by the
word "doctored.
Mr.. Allison said:
81 said l used the word in no Of
fensive sense. 1t was changed after
discussion, and the dollar Of 42C
grains was substituted for it." Con
gressional Record, volums 7. part 2,
Forty fifth Congress, second session,
page 1858.
On February Is, 1878, during the
consideration of the bill above re-
ferred to, the following colloquy be-
tween Senator Blame and Senator
Voorhees, took place:
Mr.. VOORHEES,. 81 want 10 ask my
friend from Maine, whom | am glad
to designate in that way, whether
may call him as one more witness to
the fact that it was not generally
known whether silver was demonetiz-
ed. Did he know. as Speaker of the
House, presiding at that tipe, that
the silver dollar was demonetized in
the bill to which he alludes?"
MIR. Blame. II did not know any
thing that was in the bill at all, As
l have before said, little was known
or cared on the subject. daughter. }
And now | should like to exchange
questions with the Senator from In
diana, who was then on the floor,
and whose business it was, far more
than mine, to know, because the des-
lgnation of the House l was to put
queations; the Senator from Indiana,
then Oh the floor of the House, with
his power as debater, was to unfold
them to the House. Did he know"
Mr.. VOORHEES,. Il very frankly
say that l did not.
(lbid., page lO63.)
Senator Beck, in speech made in
the Senate January 10, 1878, SAID
at (the bill demonetizing sllver)
never was understood by either
House of Congress. say that with
full knowledge of the facts. No
newspaper reporter-and they are
the most vigilant men | ever saw IN
obtaining information, discovered
that it had been done" Congress
ionaL Record volume I, part |, For.
t7,ffth Congress, second session, page
260.
Senator Hereford, in the Senate, on
February l3, 1878, in discussing the
characterization of silver, sald
$50 that l say that beyond tn pos
sibility of doubt land there is no
disputing it) that bill which demone-
tized silver, as it passed, never was
read, never was discussed, and that
the Chairman of the committee who
reported it, who offered the substitute,
said to Mr.. Holman, when inquired
of, that it did not affect the coinage
in any way whatever. Ibid, page
$50.
Senator Howe, in speech deliver
ed in the Senate on February5 1878,
said:
"Mr. President, l do not regard
the decentralization of silver as an at
tempt to wrench from the people
more than they agree to pay. That
is not the crime of which accuse the
act of 1873. charge it with guilt
ompared with which the robbery of
two hundred millions is venial. !"
Congressional Record, volume 7, part
|, Forty fifth Congress, second session,
page 764.
General Garfield, in speech made
at Springfield, Ohio, during the fall
of 1877, said:
perhaps I ought to be ashamed to
say so, but it is the truth to say that,
1 at that time being Chairman of the
Committee on Appropriations. and
having my hands over-full during all
that time with work, never read the
bill. I took it upon the faith Of a
prominent Democrat and prominent
Republican, and | do not know that |
voted at all. There was no call Of
the yeas and nays, and nobody op-
posed that bill that know of. 1t
was put through as dozens Of bills
are, as my friend and I know, in Con.
gress, on the faith of the report of
the Chairman of the committee, there