Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-03-17
FROM NR. CARLISLE.
Latter On Arc ed Discrimination Against
The Use Of Silver.
REPLY TO nR. cnIsr's SPEECH
,..o,a of the Present Administrn-
,,on on the subject OF Treatment
of the waite Metal-Pohcy OF i''"-
sury Department.

EuFN DtNNith'H-f
WASHINGTON. d. c.. March 10
u.,reseptative Patterson, OF Tennessee
,,,se public to-day the following ie''er'
Nc, no recslved this morning from
secretary Carlisle:
"Tne Treasury Department.
"Omce OF the Secretary.
..vyssbineton. u. c.. March l6, 1896.
49,. Josiah Patterson. House Of Repre-
seniatlNes:
.,fy Dear Sir.-Your favor OF February
co., ,ca. duly received. and ought to
,.,o been answered at once. but the
,..,..,re cf official business has COM
r.1 me 10 delay a response until
You state that in speech de-
,..,-.d by Hon Charles f. Crisp In the
,... ~ REPRESENTATIVES on the 18th
49,, az February that gentleman said:
.Io meaning the Secretary Of the Trea-
....,., refuses to give silver for gold, be-
,.yse be must hold the silver TO pay the
.U,.r certificates and Sherman notes is
...t under the act OF 1880. and when
s sherman note issued under the act OF
,>., ia presented he redeems ii In gold
and not In silver. What mockery is
chico What sort Of friendly treatment
&C. accorded 10 silver by this law. and the
,rsc,ic, that obtains at the Treasury OF
The United States? And YOU ask me to
state fully how you Cd have dealt with
In. silver currency since your my
ircurlbency Of the Office Of Secretary or
tnc Treasury, and whether you % have,
iu dealing with the subject. discredited
silver
I'm answer to your question. 1 can only
av that. I'm all the operations OF the
Treasury Department during my admins
ration Of its anairs, the legal-ten-
Der gold and silver coins OF the
United States have been treated pre-
-isely alike. except that greater Efforts
lave been made TO keep silver COINS IN
regulation than have been made 10 Keep
gold coins I'm circulation.
The amount paid out by the DEPART
nent In silver coins and silver certin-
-otps greatly exceeds the amount paid
ont ga gold coins and gold certificates,
and In no instance has the least ais
-~iwinati0n been made against silver or
los paper representatives. In no instance
has silver or silver certificates been re-
IN pay llfMA u a N'bt VI "''-t-'''r'
fu. the government, and In no instance
has the government refused to pay sill
v.- coins or silver certificates IN dis
charge Of it's Obligations when the
holders Of the obligations demanded or
centred such payment When United
states notes or Treasury notes are pre-
t.ni.I for redemption. gold Is paid II It
.. demanded. and If silver is demanded,
silver is paid Thus the coins Of the
two metals are treated alike in pay
uents by the government, as well as ~
the discharge OF debts due to the gov
ernment.
POLICY OF DEPARTMENT.
at has always been the policy Of the
Treasury Department to encourage the
use OF silver to the largest possible eN-
tent. and I'm order TO accomplish TINS
standard silver dollars Will be sent by
express at the expense of the govern
rnent 10 any one who Will deposit an
equivalent amount in silver certincateS
~ Treasury notes Of 1890 with the
United States Treasurer or any assistant
treasurer. o. with "a national bank de-
9ostory; and subsidiary silver coins Will
ID. sent by EXPRESS at the expense OF the
government to any one who viii deposit
with such officers or hanks any Kind OF
United States currency or national-bank
notes. but gold IS not sent 10 anybody
Tree Of charge
In August. 1898. there was great and
unusual demand In nearly every part OF
me country for currency of small de-
7Unnations, and in its attempts TO sup
.iv this demand. the Treasury Depart
mont paid. in defraying the EXPENSE OF
'hc government and in exchange and
other forms Of currency, all the silver
Mat could be lawfully used for these
purposes. so that for a short period II
Va- compelled TO suspend payment IN
standard silver dollars. except in the re-
tempti1n Of silver certificates upon de-
tosits Of silver and Treasury notes of
iNu The law authorizing the issue Of
silver certificates upon deposits OF silver
Provides that coin deposited for, or repre-
s.utnr the certificates shall be retained
lu the Treasury for the payment OF the
same on demand. II IS. therefore. plain
ttat whenever the amount Of silver dol
lafs Boo the Treasury does not exceed the
amour, 90 silver certificates OUTSTANDING
tte Secretary OF the Treasury cannot,
without violation OF law, pay out such
silver. except for redemption of certlii-
Gates Al such times he has no more
no t1 exchange silver dollars for gold
than Doc has 20 pay them out In any other
manner
'Hut there IS also another fund in the
Treasury which is required by law to ba
held for a different purpose 1t consists
az The bJl'ou and the standard silver
dollars coined from the bullion purchased
under the act OF July u. 1890. That act
provides FOR the purchase Of silver bull
ion 40 The market price and the issue
Z" Treasury notes In payment for II,
ana % also declares that no greater
w less amount Of such notes shall be out
sian ling az any time than the cost of
zoe silver bullion and the standard silver
collars coined therefrom, then held In the
Treasury. purchased by such notes
Under this provision the Secretary is re-
Iifei 10 keep I'm the Treasury at all
times ana amount Of silver bullion, at It's
,' price and IN standard silver dollars
'o.nel from the purchased bullion, ex-
4-iF equal 10 the amount OF Treasury
.'ics outstanding. and he cannot, there
i",e. lawfully use such standard silver
'''ars except for the redemption and
mediation OF Treasury notes.
40 FREE SILVER.
Ny letter 20 the United States Senate.
up-a which Mr.. Crisps statement seems
!. nave been based, was written on the
I'm DAY oi August. 1893. and al that time
,'e'e was no free silver in the Treasury;
i'l s. there were no standard silver dol
4+'a in tne Treasury except such as the
'" icl4.Ied TO be held for the redemp-
.o- o. silver certificates and the Urea
Guy notes Of 1880. and these redemptions
Ndr made at all yimes during that
Nil and every other month, when
forms OF currency were presented.
-IIAf ue month Of August, 1888, Urea
-'l notes 20 the amount Of Sl.273,26I
"e redeemed IN silver and cancelled,
since The first day OF August. 1898,
t 'elai amount OF such notes redeemed
~ --l.I md cancelled Is so h22 10