The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-09-22
Courier.Journal.

WTOte MIN dSdlH III IL sliIliihT Seiu' pu.
no attention was given to It, called ut
III West Eleventh street on two separate
occasions. when in New York but could
never meet with Mr.. Luckenbach, and l
then pursued the investigation in another
way. In Mr.. Seyd's statement as alleged
TO have been made to Mr. Luckenbach /
find these words:
81 went to America in the winter Of
passage of a bill demonetizing silver" On
making an investigation discovered that
the bin which dropped the silver dollar
from the coinage was presented to con-
gress In April, 1870. and at the time that
Mr. Seyd was supposed to have travelled
over here TO procure the passage of surh
a bill. 1t had been pending in congress then
nearly three years, had been under con-
sideratiOn during five sessions of the
national Legislature.
Its Introduction was due to recommen-
dations made to congress by Mr.. Bout
well. secretary, and by Mr. Knox. who dis
tinctly stated that the silver dollar. which
had not been in use for a number of years,
and which was rated at its bullion value
in the market higher than gold, could not
be retained In the currency. The silver
dollar was being worked into articles OF
silverware because It, was cheaper to
work over the silver dollar than to buy
silver bullion with it. The bill had been
read at length in the senate some seven
times. 1t had been read in the house and
discussed there. on seven different occa-
sions 1t was reported from committees. II
was printed several times and placed be-
fore the members of the house and senate
some thirteen times before final action
was taken on 1t. The bill which was first
reported did not provide for the coinage Of
any silver dollar whatever, and made pro-
vision only for the coinage OF subsidiary
pieces-half dollars, quarters and dimes.
That bill passed the senate in January.
1871. and which Senator william NJ. Stew
art sat in his place as a member of that
body. The affidavit made by Mr.. Lucken-
bach was simply, to my mind, a sham,
delusion and a snare. utterly misleading
and dishonesty intended to mislead. In
order to make it tit all sides of the case
and to dove-tail In as piece OF evidence
out of cort he. Mr.. Seyd, should have Wis
tied America before the bill had been in
troduced. acted upon and passed.
NO CRIME OF '73.
made an earnest and an honest effort
to fortify the position which favored the
free coinage of silver at the ratio of 16 to
|. and failed TO obtain proof discovered
while prosecuting my search that the al
legged crime of 1873 was a fabrication pure
and simple, and that in basing my letter
In the North American Review upon the
statement made by the senator of Nevada.
| had used as foundation for the article
what | now believe to be q willful, delib-
crate and Dremeditated lie.
Had the silver men been actuated by
honest methods they would have made as
strenuous an effort before 1873 to work off
their silver In unlimited quantities, but
at that time enough silver to make a dol
lar OF was worth sl03 and you could not
draw these patriots who are now clamor-
ing for free silver up to the mint to have
their silver coined at that price with a
yoke of oxen. II the amount now required
to make a dollar brought s103 In the open
market you would today find our silver
mine owners vigorously and actively OPP
posing free coinage at the ratio of l6 to l.
We are told that all this battle Is for the
laboring man: that the reason the silver
mine owners take such an interest in the
laborer Is because of their desire to enable
him to purchase what our farmers pro-
duce. and In such a way as, to enhance the
prices paid for farm produce. IF cheap
money Is what they would give the work.
man Is not paper the cheapest of all ma.
terials, and is It not preferable as money?
But they say. silver is indestructible and
paper is easily destroyed and for that
reason we should use the silver. If that
argument holds good why may not the
owners Of aluminium demand the free
coinage OF aluminum? It is lighter,
cheaper and fully as enduring as silver;
1t does not tarnish or rust and the sup
ply is inexhaustible. Why not coin that
instead Of silver?
Let us admit that have changed my
mind. and | do not admit that have done
so by any means. for 1t was always my
idea that silver. paper and gold should ne
used in the currency of the nation in such
way that neither, one would have the
advantage Of the other. Silver Is no more
the poor mans than gold, for there are
as many workingmen engaged I'm the pro-
duction and manufacture Of gold as OF
silver. The silver men have it in their
power to Increase the demand for silver,
for they are among the wealthiest men in
the world. Under the act of Feb. 12, 1873,
the silver dollar is "a legal tender for ali
debts and dues. public and private, except
where otherwise expressly stipulated in
the contract" Search the records of our
western states, look into the contracts
made by the owner OF silver bullion. and
you Will Invariably find the words ''in
and true to the faith they profess they
should create a demand for silver by in
serting in all their contracts the words:
Payment shall be made In silver"
WHAT OF DEMOCRACY?
Rut IL I have changed my views what
shall We say of the Democracy? The Dem
ocrats of Pennsylvania assembled at AL
lentown last April. nominated a ticket and
said: I'VE are unalterably opposed to the
free and unlimited coinage of silver at
the ratio Of 16 to L. The Democrats Of
New jersey met few months ago and
adopted a similar platform. The Demo-
Gratis of Maine held their state conven-
tion and adopted platform with words
bearing the same construction. Then
Mr.. Bryan in hurricane Of words blew
himself into the nomination for the presi-
dency and we now find change in all
of the platforms of the states have
named Two weeks ago the Pennsylvania
Democracy met at Harrisburg and proved
| that they were alterable by changing their
| platform to favor the free and unlimited
| coinage OF silver at the ratio which they
| denounced but four months before. The
Democracy of New Jersey and of Maine
| followed suit.
| The individual may change quickly, but
where three whole states change so sud-
| denly II cannot be conviction. education
| or study Of the question which brought
| about the change. Four years ago the
| Peoples party adopted a platform similar
| to that on which Mr.. Watson, of Georgia
| is now running alone. That platform IA
vored the free and unlimited coinage of
silver at the ratio OF Is to 1. and nearly
every man I'm our eastern states and In