San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-08-26
STEWART FOR GOLD.
STRONG ARoUMENTFoR SINGLE GOLD
STANDARD IN 1874.

Coinage at 16 to Enormous Profits Of
Silver Mines In Which He Was Inter.
ested-The YeIIowest Goldbug In Amer
ica-Arguments Never Since Answered
by Anybody.
DR.. S. A. Robinson has been looking
up Senator Stewards history and record
on the money and silver question. He
has struck rich lead. 1t is well known
that Stewart voted for "the crime Of
1878" and that he was for some time
afterward strong advocate of the gold
standard. 1t is not, however, generally
known that he was, in 1874, as yellow
a goldbug as this country ever produced
and that he made some of the strongest
arguments ever used for the single gold
neutrality-suspicious. that neither he
nor any one else has since answered or
can answer satisfactorily. We print be-
low a part of DIR. Robinson's article and
part of the matter which he has quoted
from Senator Stewards speeches in the
senate:
Senator William M. Stewart of Ne
vada was an uncompromising advocate
of the gold standard until the close Of
his second term in the United States
senate. He was elected senator in 1864,
and reelected in 1869, his last term
closing March 3, 1875, more than two
years after the coinage act, which he
now calls "the crime of 1873" was pass
ed He was member of the senate dur
ing the three years that that act was
under consideration, and is recorded as
voting for it ON Jan. 10, 1871, which
was the only yea and nay vote taken on
it in the senate, and is said to have
voted for its final passage. He began
the study of law early in 1859. and was
appointed district attorney in December
of that year, and in 1854 became attor-
ney general and settled in San Fran
cisco. Later he removed to Downie-
vile, Cal. where he devoted himself to
the study and practice of the laws that
relate to mining and similar processes.
In 1860 he removed to Virginia City,
New, and was Immediately retained in
almost every case of importance before
the higher courts. To his efforts is
mainly due the permanent settlement Of
the titles of nearly all the mines of the
great Comstock lode.
In 1861 he was chosen a member of
the territorial counsel and in 1868 he
was elected member of the constitu-
tional convention. This brief sketch of
his life up to the time of his election to
hn ITnttoI GfotnC taI s,,o
nection with the fact that he had served
in that body continuously from 1864
until Feb. IL, 1878, when the coinage
act, which he now condemns, was
passed, makes it seem impossible that he
did not thoroughly understand every
provision of the said coinage act. Sena-
tor Stewart was undoubtedly one of the
best equipped men in the senate to pass
upon such measure. He was wonder
fully keen and alert, and as a represent
alive of the state more largely interested
in silver than any other the probability
of his being ignorant of any provision
of it after it had been under considera-
ton from April %, 1870, to Feb. -,
1878, and been debated until the discus
sion filled 144 columns of The Globe, is
so slight as to render any claim to that
effect incredible.
The truth is that Mr.. Stewart was a
most determined and able advocate Of
the single gold standard, as the follow
ing extracts from speeches made by him
long after the passage of that act abun-
dainty prove. He said, II want the
standard gold and no paper money not
redeemable in gold"
Let everybody know what dollar is worth.
Then the man who goes west to buy produce
will be under no necessity to insure himself
against the fluctuations of the currency. He
can pay the full value of the wheat then with
out the fear that a change In the price OF gold
will break him down before he gets back to
New York. The wheat will be measured by the
same standard gold in Illinois as it is in Liver
pool, and any man can figure it up. But now
it is mystery. The whole subject of finance
is mystery, and what do we see every dayf
We see those who devote their attention to it
making large fortunes out of this mystery. Let
us do as all the people of the world have been
doing from the beginning, measure our values
by gold, adopt the standard that all can I'M
derstand and get rid Of this mystery.-Feb. II,
1874, Congressional Record, page 1892.
THE QUESTION NEVER WILL BE SET
tiled UNTIL YOU DETERMINE THE SIM
PIE QUESTION WHETHER THE LABoRING
MAN is ENTITLED TO GOLD DOLLAR IF
HE EARNS 1T OR WHETHER YOU ARE co
ING TO CHEAT HIM WITH SOMETHING
ELSE. THAT is THE UPSHOT OF THE
WHOLE THING. The people will hold right
on to that, and they will come to the con-
clusion. 81 am entitled to just as good money
as my neighbor." And to that party they will
all finally come, un til IL will get to be big
party. There have been a great many
battles fought against gold. and gold has
won every time. Gold never has compromised.
You say you have got up compromise bill on
the question whether gold shall be respected.
Gold has made the world respect 10 all the
time. The English people once thought they
could get along without gold for awhile. but
they had to 90 back to it-.June - 1874 Com