The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1896-08-20
LEGISLATIVE MYSTERY.
WHY WAS SILVER DEMONETIZED
IN THIS COUNTRYP
Senators We're In Dense Ignorance OF
the Purport of the Measure
what Blaine and Others Said
About the Outrage.

About the Outrage.
Massillon. o., August 10, 1895.
Editor News-Democrat: Will you
please tell the readers Of your valuable
paper, why silver was demonetized In
1872 II. X. II.
A great many correspondents have writ
ten to us asking why silver WAS dem one
tized in 1873. This action of congress
will always remain one OF the greatest
legislative mysteries. There had been no
public request for such au action; no ma
tional party had demanded It. There had
been no discussion In newspapers or else.
where. Under the guise of an act to re-
wise and amend the law relative to mints,
assay offices and coinage of the United
States, the standard silver dollar, which
had been in existence from 1899, was
dropped. There wos no
discussion in congress concerning the
change to be effected in our
financial system by the proposed act A
few desultory remarks were made, some
in speeches which were not delivered, but
were afterward printed in the Record,
but both branches Of congress seemed to
be in dense ignorance of the important
provision contained In the bill, or sup
posed to have been contained in the bill,
by which silver was destroyed as an equal
money metal with gold. So adroitly was
tho whole scheme managed that Sena-
tor william M. Stewart, the great silver
advocate, himself voted tor the bill. He
afterward declared that under no cir
oumstances would he have voted In that
manner had he been apprised Of the
provision respecting the disuse Of silver
as money. The msytery is only deepen
ed when we consider what other persons,
who were in congress at the time, say
about the passage of this bill.
senator Thurman, on the 18th of Feb
ruary, 1878, in debate, said
81 cannot say what took place in the
House, but know when the bill was pend
ing in the Senate we thought 1t was SIM
ply bill to reform the mint, regulate
coinage, and fix up one thing and an.
other, and there Is not single man In
the senate, l think, unless member of
the committee from which the bill came,
who had the slightest idea that 1t was
even q squint toward demonstration. -
Congressional Record, volume z, part q;
Forty fifth Congress, second session, page
1864.
Senator Conkling, In the senate, on
March &c. 1875, during the remarks Of
Senator Bogy on the bill (S. s69 to
amend the laws relating to legal, tender
of silver coin, in surprise inquired:
"Will the senator allow me to ask him
or some other senator a question? Is 1t
true that there Ia now by law no Ameri-
can dullarp And, II so, Is 1t trus that the
effect of this bill Is to make half dollars
and quarter dollars the only silver coin
which can be used as legal teDderp"--
Congressional Record, volume 4, part g.
Forty fourth Coz 8 'ass, frst session, page
2062.
Senator Allison, on February 10, 1878,
when the bill (H. R. 1O93) to authorize the
free coinage of the standard silver dollar
and to restore It's legal tender character
was under consideration, observed:
"But when the secret history of this pill
Of 1873 comes to be told, 1t will disclose
the fact that the House of Representa-
tives intended to coin both gold and sill
yer, and intended to place both metals
upon the French relation instead of on
our own, which was the true scientific
position with reference to this subject In
1875, but that the bill afterwards was
doctored. If may use that term, and use
1t in no offensive sense, of course"
Mr. Sargent interrupted him and asked
him what he meant by the word "doc-
tored."
Mr.. Allison said:
"I said used the word in no offensive
sense It was changed after discussion,
and the dollar of 420 grains was substi-
tuted for t."-Congressiona Record,
volume Z, part 2, Forty-flfth Congress,
second session, page 1868.
On February 10, 1878, during the con-
sideration of the bill above referred to,
the following oolloquy bteween Senator
Blaine and Senator Voorhees, took place
Mr.. Voorhees-."I want to ask my
friend from Maine, whom l am glad TO
designate In that way, whether may call
him as one more witness to the fact that
1t was not generally known whether sill
yer was demoneti2ed. Did he know, as
Speaker of the House, presiding at that
time, that the silver dollar was demone-
tized in the bill TO which he slludes?"
Mr.. Blaine-"I did not know anything
that was In the bill at all. As have be.
fore said, little was known or cared on
the subject. (Laughter.) And now
should like to exchange questions with
the senator from Indiana. who was
on the floor, and whose business 1t was,
far more than mine, to know, because
by the designation of the House / was
TO put questions; the senator from In
diana, then on the floor OF the House,
with his power as debater, was to un.
fold them to the House. Did he knowp'
Mr.. Voorhees-"I very frankly say that
1 did not"
(Ibid.. page 1o6S.)
Senator Beck, In speech made In
the Senate January 10, 1878, said;
"It (the bill demonetizing silver) never
was understood by either House of Con
gress. say that with full knowledge o.
the facts. No newspaper reporter--ant
they are the most vigilant men evel
saw In obtaining discovered
that 1t had been done. "--Congressio
Record, volume z, part 1, Forty-fifth
Congress. second session, page $50!
Senator Hereford, in the Senate, OF
February 13, 1878, In discussing the de
monetization Of silver, said;
$50 that say that byond the possibili
ty of doubt (and there Is no disputinl
it) that bill which demonetized silver, al