The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-24
SIGNED LETTER FROM JOHN SHEER
BAN REPLYING TO ATTACKS
BY BRYAN.
TRUTH OF THE INCIDENT.
GIVEN THE WIDEST POSSIBLE
PUBLICITY.
SILVER ALMOST DEsIoNITIzED.
No One Wanted to Have Dollar.
Coined and No One Opposed
the Bill.

CINCINNATI, O., Sept. pa local
paper publishes signed article from
Senator John Sherman dated at Mans
field, in which he replies to Mr.. Bryan
and others on the "crime Of '73" Sen
ator Sherman says that many pages of
the congressional record show indisput-
able proof that the clause in the act
OF 1873, stopping the coinage OF the sill
yer dollar, was not surreptitiously and
clandestinely passed through congress.
The senator reviews the history of that
legislation, showing that there was an
unusually long agitation, not only in
both branches of congress, but also in
the committee of both houses and also
in the treasury department before the
bill was prepared.
The senator says: II have never been
able to see what motive could have ex-
listed for secrecy in this matter. On
April rs, 1870, when the bill was sent
to the committee on finance by the
secretary of the treasury the silver dol
lar was worth $1.13 in the markets of
the world. Germany had not yet sold
her silver or adopted the gold standard
There was no indication whatever of
the fall of silver and no one could
foresee that 1t was destined to rapidly
decline in price. No one asked to have
the dollar coined, and no one was op-
posed to the discontinuance."
The senator refers to the frequent
messages between the treasury depart
nent and the committees, and the un-
usually large number Of copies Of the
reports on the bill and the bill itsef
that were ordered printed for distri-
button. The bill was studied by many
men outside of congress during the
three years or more of it's considera-
tion and many of these financ.ars were
given hearings on this bill before the
committee. The secretary Of the treas
ury in his annual reports Of TO- II and
~ called the special attention Of con-
gress to this bill. In his report of 1872
the secretary Of the treasury said: IT
suggest such alteration as will pro-
h1bit the coinage Of the silver dollar
Tor circulation In this country" lwell-
ing upon his reasons therefor at length.
Th1s bill came to congress April 25.
1870, and became a law Feb. IL, lA73
nearly three years after its Introduction
and during which time 1t was con-
stantiy before the public. The senator
concludes his article thus:
There was not only nothing secret
or surreptitious In the pass age of the
act of 1873. but every step accompany
ing It's origin, Introduction, eonsidera-
ton and passage received as much
publicity as could be given to bill.
But the silver dollar was out of circu-
lation long before the law OF 1873 was
enacted. 1t was a thing of the past.
lost to sight; conceived by Hamilton in
1892, suspended by Jefferson in 1906:
practically demonetized by Benton and
the men of 1884 under Andrew Jack
son; ignored by two generations, ex-
cept as convenience for the exporta-
ton of silver bullion, and called back
to the mind of the present generation
only because silver has fallen in price
and is deemed more valuable as coin
than as bullion. Never was a more
UNJUST or unwarrantable charge made
than that the act of 1873 was passed
secretly, by stealth, and with the OBJ
ject OF concealing any part Of it from
the public"