The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1896-10-08
SENATOR ALLISON.
lie Says the Bill of 1873 Was "DOctOred" Be
fore II Became Law, and He Knows.

lie Says the Bill of 1873 Was ''DOctored" Be-
fore 1t Became Law, and He Knows.
Mr.. Allison ''But when the
secret history of this bill of 1878 comes
| to be told, it will disclose the fact that
the house of representatives intended
to coin both gold and silver, and in
tended to place both metals upon the
French relation instead of our own,
which was the true scientific position
with reference to this subject in 1873,
but that afterward the bill was doctor
ed, if l may use the term, and l use it
in no offensive sense of course"
Mr.. Sargent-It was amended in the
senate and went to a committee of con-
ference, if that is "doctored ;" and the
report of the committee of conference
was concurred in by the two houses. /
should like to know if the word "doc-
tOred" applies to our legislation here,
where there has been three or four
days debate.
Mr.. Allison-I said 1 used the word
in no offensive sense. 1t was changed
after the discussion, and the dollar of
1870 grains was substituted for it.
have here, if the senator from Califor-
mia doubts what say, the report of Mr..
Ruggles to the chamber of commerce of
the city of New York, showing that it
was the original intention of the pro-
moters Of the bill of 1873, that both sill
yer and gold should be coined, and that
they should be placed upon the French
ratio. He says:
''The bill, as introduced, proposed to
change the weight of the silver dollar
from 412 l-2 grains to 1884 grains. The
chamber of commerce of the state of
New York, on examining and consider
ing that provision by resolution duly
transmitted to congress in June last,
respectfully recommended that the
weight of the silver dollar should be
made precisely equivalent to that of the
first French coin of Europe" etc.
Mr.. Sargent-I am not doubling the
senator's fact. I was simply objecting
to his epithet.
Mr.. Allison-But 1 was only stating
the history of this legislation in an
swering question of the senator from
Delaware.
The senator from Michigan (Mr.
Christiancy) said the other day that
these debasers of the coins would them
selves become debased.
Mr.. Webster reduced the
gold dollar from 242 grains to 1929
grains of fine gold, thus reducing the
gold dollar of 1884 6S per cent, and
made no arrangements with reference
to the creditor class in this country
In other words, there was debasing
OF the coin to that extent by actual re-
duction of the metal in the gold dallar.
From 1899 up to 1897,
and again by the legislation of 1894, sill
yer coins of Mexico and the South
American states, and of France and
Spain, were made full legal tender in
this country, and some of them contin-
ued to be full legal tender until 1857.
Therefore for nearly seventy years of
our country's history we not only had
legal tender of our own silver, but the
silver of other nations was full legal
tender in our country.
We had of full coined silver money
more than hundred millions coined at
our mint between those periods, I think
$40, 900, 900, and we had all the silver
of the world made legal tender in ad-
dition. Who is there
that from 1884 to the present moment
has ever raised one word of adverse
criticism with reference to the reduc-
tion of the gold dollar of 1884?
What was the object of max
ing this change? Ev-
cry committee that reported upon that
question reported in favor of relation
of about to 15.625, and the bill was SO
reported from the committee, but il
was changed at the last moment and
the relation of 16 to fixed. =
The result was that in 1863 we had NO
silver coin in existence in this country,
or very little, and congress that yeal
provided for debased subsidiary coin.
age in order that this subsidiary silver
might continue in circulation. Con.
gressional Record, volume 7, part 2
Forty fifth Congress, second session,