The Butler weekly times., 1896-08-20

lar of the United States. nave
never met a man who could tell just
how it came about or why" Con
gressional Record, vol. 8, part l,
Forty. sixth congress, first session,
page 1881 Again Judge Kelly
said: 1T (the bilD was passed with
out any allusion IN debate to the
question of the retention or the
abandonment of the standard silver
dollar"
Here we have the chairman of the
committee that prepared the bill de-
claring positively that it made no
provision for the standard silver
dollar. Yet. after it passed the stand
ard dollar was found to be ommit-
ted. Now, the crime of 1873 was
committed on that bill after it had
left the hands of the committee, and
before it was voted on in the house.
Congressman Bright of Tennessee
thus tells how it passed: 1t passed
by fraud in the house, never having
been printed in advance, being a
substitute for the printed bill; never
having been read at the clerks desk,
the reading having oeen dispensed
with by an impression that the bill
made no alteration in the coinage
laws; it was passed without discus
sion, debate being cut off by opera.
tion of the previous question. It
was passed, to my certain informa-
ton. under such circumstances that
the fraud escaped the attention of
some of the most watchful, as we'll
as the ablest statesmen in congress
at the time. Ay, sir, it was fraud
that smells to heaven. 1t was a fraud
that will stink in the nostrils of pos
terity, and for which some person
must give account in the day of
retribution." Congressional Record,
vol. 7, part l, second session, Forty.
fifth congress, page 5S4)
Senator Allison, late candidate for
the Republican nomination, ought to
be good authority for our Republi-
can contemporary. Here is what he
said in reference to the subject:
"When the secret history of this bill
of 1873 comes to be told, it will dis.
close the fact that the house of rep
resentatives intended to coin both
gold and silver, and intended to
place poth metals upon the French
relation instead of on our own, which
was the true scientific position with
reference to this subject in 1878, but
that the bill afterward was doctored,
if I must use the term, and l use it
in no offensive sense, of course-''
MIR. Sargent interrupted him and
asked him what he meant by the
word 'doctored
Mr.. Allison said: Il said used
the word in no offensive sense. It
was changed after discussion, and
the dollar of 42O grains was substi-
tuted." Congressional Record, vol.
7, part 2, Forty-ffth congress, sec
ond session, page 1,05S.)
Senator Beck, in his speech in the
senate, said: 1T (the demonetiza
tion bilD never was understood by
either house of congress. 1 say that
with full knowledge of the facts. No
newspaper reporter-and they are
the most vigilant men l ever saw in
obtaining Observation-Disclosures
that it had been done (Congres
sional Record, vol. Z, part l, Forty
fifth congress, second session, page
26O.)
Senator Thurman said: Il cannot
say what took place in the house,
but know, when the bill was pend
ing in the senate, We thought it was
simply bill to reform the mint,
regular coinage and fix up one thing
aud another; and there is not sin.
gle man in the senate, I think, unless
a member of the committee from
which the bill came. who had the
slightest idea that it was even a
squint toward demonstration.
| Mr.. Holman said in the house oI
representatives: Il have before me
the record of the proceedings of this
house on the passage of that meas