Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1896-10-09
THE CRIME OF 1873.
HoW ACT DEMoNETIzINC Sill.
YER WAS PASSED.
1t Was Rushed Through Congress with
out Being Read and Debate Was shut
orr by the Previous Question --Peopie
Never Heard of 1t.

teDearsed, so often indeed that one
would think every citizen of the eoun-
Try was familiar with the facts, but
they are not, or if they read about ii
they have forgotten the facts.
The act demonetizing silver was
1muggied through congress. Less than
half dozen members knew of it.
PRESIDENT Grant who signed the bill,
was utterly ignorant of it. Judge
Kelly, of Pennsylvania, the chairman
OF the committee on coinage, weights
and measures at the time, when
charged with having advocated the de-
moneti2ation of silver, said in speech
In the house: In connection with the
charge that | advocated the bill which
demonetized the standard silver dol
lar, say that, though chairman of the
committee on coinage was as ignor-
ant OF the fact that it would demone-
tie the silver dollar. or of its drop
ping the silver dollar from our system
OF coins, as were those distinguished
senators. Messrs. Blaine and Voorhees,,
who were then members of the house,
and each of whom, few days since,
lnterrogated the other: Did you know
1t was dropped when the bill passed Q
No, said Mr.. Blaine, did your No,
said Mr.. Voorhees, I do not think
there were three members in the house
mat knew 1t, / doubt whether Mr..
Hooper, who, in my absence from the
committee on coinage and attendance
on the committee on ways and means,
managed the bill. knew it. 1 say this
In Justice to him." This statement was
made in the Forty-fifth congress.
In the Forty-sixth congress the mat
ter was again brought to the attention
of the house by Judge Kelly, who said
"Al! that l can say is that the commit
tee on coinage, weights and measures,
who reported the original bill, were
faithful and able, and scanned it's pro-
visions closely; that as their organ l
reported 1t: THAT 1T CONTAINED
PROVISIONS FOR BOTH THE
STANDARD SILVER DOLLAR AND
THE TRADE DOLLAR. Never having
hea+i until long time after its enact
men. into law of the substitution in the
senate of the section which dropped
the standard silver dollar, ! profess to
know nothing of its history, but I am
prepared to say THAT in the legislation
Of this country there il no mystery
eqral to the demonstration of the sill
YER dollar of the United States. l have
never met mans who could tell just
hnus oh 10
WIS passed without any allusion in de-
bclsc to the question of the retention
or the abandonment of the standard sill
vsr dollar"
Evidently the crime was committed
E.ter it had left the hands of the com
mittee, and before it was voted on in
tile house. How it passed that body. is
thus described by Congressman Bright
of Tennessee: 1T passed by fraud in
the house, never having been printed
il advance, being a substitute for the
Printed bill; never having been read at
Tire clerks desk the reading having
been dispensed with by an impression
t.'at the bill made no alteration in The
coinage laws; it was passed without
discussion, debate being cut off by
Operation OF the previous question. It
was passed, to my certain informa-
ton, under such circumstances that
tire fraud escaped the attention OF
Eme Of the most watchful, as we'll as
THE ablest statesmen in congress at the
une"
Senator Allison said in reference to
the subject: when the secret history
CT this bill of 1873 comes to be told. 1t
will disclose the fact that the house of
representatives intended to coin both
gold and silver, and intended to place
10th metals upon the French relation
instead of on our own, which was the
true scientific position with reference
20 this subject in 1873. but that the
hil afterward was doctored."
Senator Beck said: THE bill never
was understood by either house of con
Giess.' Senator Thurman said: There
Is not single man in the senate. I'M
Tess member of the committee from
which the bill came, who had tie
slightest idea that it was even a sauint
toward decentralization"
Mr.. Holman, in the house. said "the
measure and the methods of its pass
Rge was colossal swindle. 1t does
not possess the moral force of law"
Representative Cannon, of Illinois,
says the bill was not discussed and
neither members of congpess nor the
people understood the scope of the
Senator Hereford. of West Virginia,
IN ST eech in the senate, said the bill
neve- was read, never was discussed.
and t'4e chairman of the committee
said t. Mr.. Holman, when asked the
question, that it did not attest the
coinage in any way whatever"
Who was benefited by this crime?
The foreign and New York bondhold-
crs. Who paid for it? Let the follow
Ing sftdayit explain. 1t was made by
MI. frederick A. Luckenbach a for
mer r.ember of the New York Stock
lGXch<4lgs', but resident of Denver for
several years. The present editor of
'The Gazette" met Mr.. LucEenbach |
ofte.l in Denver and heard Kim re
neaSss the matter, substantially us
given in this statement:
Ia 1865 | visited London, England,
~ he purpose OF placing there Penn
iyl1 ania oil properties in which l was
2terested. took with me letters of |
Introduction to many gentlemen in
A@EA ~