The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-09-30
THE CRIME OF 1873
An Open Letter to the Workingmen
of the United States.
Written by Former Member Of the Gen
eral Executive Board of the Knights
CT Labor and Editor of ths Official
Organ Of the Order.

To the WoEkingmen Of the United states
As many Of yon are aware, have
been connected with the labor move
ment for two decades, and have heid
more or less important official positions
in labor organizations. | do not pre-.
tend to any right to speak With official
authority for labor, but if long study of
the problems in the solution of which
wage-earners have an especial interest
and an earnest desire to aid in discoy-
ering their true solution entitle any
one to speak to American workiDgmen,
| think / may, without egotism or ar
rogance, claim that right. L am neith-
er Republican, Democrat nor Pop
ulist, for the quite sufficient reason that
| am not citizen of the Republic.
But ii have no vote as a citizen ! may
fairly claim, for that reason, to be free
from the prejudice which must in some
degree blunt and warp the Judgment OF
partisans. My interest in the Ameri-
can labor movement is due to the con-
viction that as ''labor is of no coun-
try" wise solution OF industrial prob
lens here will intellectually benefit,
while an Unwise one will iDjure im-
measnrably. labor everywhere.
You are called upon to decide by
your votes two guestions-one whether
your country shall continue the policy
Of protection or whether il shall, by
the route of revenue tariff, travel TO the
goal of free trade; the other question,
though perhaps not of equal actual
importance, is the one which appears
to engage the greater share of public
attention. That question is whether the
mints of the United States shall be
thrown open l. the free and unlimited
coinage of silver at ratio OF 10 TO as
compared with gold. Arguments more
or less plausible and in oewildering
variety are being put forward for and
against this proposal. but it is not my
present purpose 20 examine all or in
deed any of these. There are occasions,
and think this is ons of them, when
the actions of parties and the methods
they employ TO influence public opin-
ion furnish fairly accurate means OF
estimating tbs value of the arguments
they put forward. HoEest men, con-
seious of no desire but the welfare OF
the people, and convinced that what
they advocate rests on the strong
ground of truth and reason, never ap'
peal to the prejudices OF men or OF
classes, and never make use of false.
b )ods to sway the minds Of the people.
You do not need to be told whether the
advocates of free silver are resting then
case on calm, passionate argument oI
whether they are seeking to intame
the passions of the people and engend'
er class hatreds. You read and heal
their statements, and know what Il
true as to this
There is one statement which Il be
ing widely circulated which | think
should be carefully examined. 1t Is
that silver was demonetized by trick
in 1878 i'm the interest of the owners OF
gold and that the present silver move
ment is nothing more than an effort to
undo the wrong which was secretly
and dishonesty done twenty-thret
years ago. You can scarcely listen to
free-silver speech or read book
brochure or article published in furth'
erance of the free-silyer agitation with
out hearing or seeing ''the crime o.
1873" fervidly, yes, perfervidIy, de
nounced.
What was this ''crime of 1873 ?"
The most sober and least franti,
statement of it which has been giyel
from free-silver source was made by
Senator Stewart in carefully prepar
ed article over his own signature IN
1873. These are his words:
After visiting London and consult
ing the bondholders, Mr.. Sherman
chairman of the Finance Committe'
of the Senate of the United States un
dertook to demonetize silver in th'
United States, aud he managed il 8