Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-09-04
SCHUYLER coLFAx oN,s11vER.

OOAV xAGn OVACAA VNs SxLv Ehs
The Views of Noted Republican
Once Vlce-Presldent.
The following is the communica-
tion the late Vice President Schuyler
Colfax published In the Chicago Adj
vance of Nov. 30, 1877; and as quoted
Saturday evening by the Hon. Ben
jamin F. Shively in his speech:
On the cars, Nov. 26, 1877.
My Dear Sir:-To your request to
write you brief letter for publica-
ton on the silver question Cor to al
low All unsigned one l write to your
paper to be reprinted with my
name) cheerfully summarize my
convictions on the subject in few
propositions that seem to me to be
almost axiomatic:
l. This is in theory and should be
in practice, government of the peo-
pic, for the people and.by the people,
where the popular will should be
obeyed.
2. lf.today gold and silver were
both equally legal tender, as when
we incurred the war debt and sus-
pended specie payments temporarily,
a proposition as preliminary to re-
sumption in 1879 to now demonetize
silver and pay all debts, public and
private, in gold Acne, could not car
ry the popular vote of any district IN
the land, North or South, East or
West, and If submitted to a popular
vote could be voted down by mil.
lions.
8. No canvass was ever made in
any district of the nation prior to
the act of 1878, for the demonetiza-
tion of silver; no popular assemblage
or convention of the people of any
party ever asked for it: no political
platform of any organization de.
manded it: no petitions from the peo-
pie of any section of the Union sought
it: and of the hundreds of financial
plans for the relief of the country, for
the payment of the debt, or for coin
resumption which were published
and advocated, none of them pro-
posed such an act for the ameliora-
ton of our financial ills-not one.
4. The demonetizing act, therefore
was passed not at all as responsive to
any demand, or desire, or petition OF
the people and was SO ingeniously
concealed in coinage act that
neither the president who has to exc
cute it if not repealed, knew what
had been done till long after it had
gone into effect.
5. If this is really "a government
of the people, and for the people and
by the people," an act thus passed,
though it may have legal effect, is a
popular wrong that should be COR
rected by the servants of the people
promptly and cheerfully-noth hating
ly, or grudgingly, or reluctantly, OF
evasively.
6. If the explicit language of our
national constitution means any
thing, gold and silver, are equally
the constitutional coin of our land.
NOT IN GOLD ALONE.
Z. II the explicit language of the
first act of Gen. Grants administers
ton, "the act to strengthen the pub
lie credit" and which did strengthen
it with our creditors and the world
means anything, the nation pledged
itself in March, 1869. to pay its debts
sin coin or its equivalent,n not in
gold alone.
8. If the explicit language of the
funding act of June 1870, means any
thing the nation again pledged itself
to pay the bonds funded under it in
the standard coin of that date, y
which was gold and silver and not
gold alone
8. If in 1861, 1859 and 1870 corn and
oats were both and equally legal
tender for debts between man and
man." as the phrase is, no consider.
alton of equity. honor or conscience
would require that debts incurred
under and in full view of a promise
shonld be paid to the dearer Of these
products, because the other hap.
pened to tie cheaper from overpro
duction or any other cause what
ever.
10. Ii the demonetizing act was I
popular wrong; if it was neither de
nanded, desired or petitioned for by
the people; if it could, not now, were
a new and original proposition be
fore the people, who ought to be the
rulers of the land, command even {
quarter of their votes-ought it no
to be promptly corrected? And then
when the ''status quo" is thus restor.
ed, would it not be an excellent tim,
afterward to propose an internation-
al commission of European and Am
lean nations to determine wha
should hereafter be the relation q
the two metals to each other?
l have endeavared, as briefly ant
tersely as possible, to submit propo