The herald., 1896-05-28
CARLISLE, PAST AND PRESENT

CARLISLE, PAST AND PRESENT
For the last two years the silver
standard papers of the country have
| been industriously circulating story to
| the effect that In 1878 Secretary, then
| CONGRESSMAN, Carlisle advocated on the
| floor of the house of representatives the
| free and unlimited coinage of the white
metal at the ratio of 16 to l. "A very
| able speech on silver coinage, delivered
| by Mr.. Carlisle on February II. 1873. has
been variously quoted from by these
papers and such free coinage champions
as Altgeld and Bryan, for the purpose
of showing that the secretary's present
attitude is entirely at variance with
that of former years. OF course the real
point of interest and Importance is not
what Mr.. Carlisle might have said or
did say eighteen years since. but the
soundness of what he says today. How
ever, as a matter of fact, Mr.. Carlisle
never advocated the free coinage of sill
yer, and the excerpts which have been
made from the speech noted are mis-
leading when not read in connection
with the remainder of the address. The
secretary has on several occasions de-
nounced the attempts to misrepresent
his views in the past by disjointed and
garbled extracts from his speeches.
Again. in recent letters to inquiring
citizens, Mr.. Carlisle sets forth briefly
and clearly his real sentiments in 1878
regarding the question of silver coinage
To Mr.. j. H. Johns of Prestonburg,
KY, the secretary writes:
Il am opposed to the free coinage of
either gold or silver, but in favor of I'M
limited coinage of both metals upon
terms of exact equality. No discrimind~
ton should be made in favor of one
metal and against the other; nor should
any discrimination be made in favor of
the holders of either gold or silver bull
lion and against the great body of the
people who own other kinds of pr operty.
A great government should treat all its
citizens alike, and whenever it attempts
to do otherwise it will engender a spirit
of discomfort which sooner or later must
disturb the harmony if not the peace of
society.
1T is scarcely necessary to say that
gross discrimination would be made be-
tween the two metals IL the owners of
silver bullion were permitted to have 81
or So cents worth of silver coined and
stamped as dollar, when the owners OF
gold bullion were required to present 100
cents worth of gold in order to have
their metal coined and stamped as dol
lar. The two metals are coined upon
terms of exact equality only when a Gol-
lars worth of silver is contained in the
silver dollar and dollars worth of gold
is contained in the gold dollar, and when
no more is charged for the coinage of
one than for the coinage of the other.
I'm a speech made February 81, 1873,
in congress, l showed that the ratio es-
hIiGhp6 ern q of Of nx-l
valued silver, and drove gold out of cir
culation."
In conclusion. Mr.. Carlisle says after
careful review of the speech of 1873:
Il think it would be perfectly fair
Interpretation of it to say:
"First-That 1 was opposed to the
free coinage of silver.
"Second-That 1 then believed the
restoration Of the standard silver dollar
to the coinage of the United States and
q larger use of that metal in this coun-
try would not only arrest it's deprecia-
ton, but would ultimately restore it to
parity with gold al the ratio of 16 to l.
"Third-That when parity at this
ratio had been restored, l was in favor
of coming both metals upon terms of
exact equality.
Fourth That I was opposed to the
total disuse of silver as a legal tender
money in this country.
Fifth-That l was in favor Of an In
ternational monetary conference to con-
slider the adoption of common ratio be-
tween gold and silver, for the purpose
of establishing internationally the use
of bimetallic money and securing fiXity
OF relative value between these metals.
Upon some of these propositions my
opinions have undergone a complete
change, and | have made no attempt to
suppress or conceal the fact NY official
course as secretary of the treasury, and
my speeches upon the subject of the
currency are sufficient / think, to show
quite clearly what my present opinions
are"
To another friend in Texas the follow
ing response was sent:
WASHINGTON, D. c., May 13.-Mr
S. o. Porter, Pettus City, Tex.-My Dear
Sir: Your favor of the 9th instant re-
questing me to send you copy of the
speech made by me in the house of rep
resentatives on the 21st of February,
1873, is received, and In response YOU
are informed that the speech was not
published except in the official proceed
1ngs of congress, and that l cannot
therefore. send you a copy. The speech
was made in opposition to the free coin
age OF silver and in favor of striking out
the free coinage provision from the
pending bill and inserting in lieu of it a
section requiring the secretary of the
treasury to purchase not less than
%,00o,O0O nor more than 81 900 900
worth of silver bullion each month and
coin it into standard silver dollars on
account of the government.
The statement that is now being cir
culated so extensively in Texas and
elsewhere that I made free coinage
speech In 1878, or at any other time. is
absolutely false and many of the people
who are circulating the statement know
II to be false. Yours very truly,
y. G. CARLISLE"
From the foregoing epistles there
ought be little difficulty in comprehend
ing the distinguished Kentuckian's Do
sition, past and present, on the issue of
silver coinage. 1t can at least be said
for his responses that they are not after
the Mckinley model
BUCKLEY SOUTHERN PACIFIC