Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1896-10-21

would think every citizen of the coun-
cry was familiar with the facts, but
shey are not, or if they read about it
they have forgotten the facts.
The act demonetizing silver was
Struggled through congress. Less than
y 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-
monetization of silver, said in a speech
in the house: In connection with the
charge that I advocated the bill which
demonetized the standard silver dol
aar, say that, though chairman of the
committee on coinage, l 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,
3nterrogated the other: Did you know
& It was dropped when the bill passed.?
No. said Mr.. Blaine, did your No,
said Mr. Voorhees,. L do not think
there were three members in the house
that knew it. I 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-flfth congress.
In the Forty-siXth congress the mat
ter was again brought to the attention
of the house by Judge Kelly, who said:
cali that 1 can say is that the commit
toe on coinage, weights and measures,
who reported the original bill, were
faithful and able, and scanned it's pro-
Vlslons closely; that as their organ l
reported it: THAT 1T CONTAINED
PROVISIONS FOR BOTH THE
STANDARD SILVER DOLLAR AND
THE TRADE DOLLAR. Never having
heard until a long time after its enact
ment into law of the substitution in the
senate of the section which dropped
Che standard silver dollar, l profess to
know nothing of its history, but am
prepared to say that in the legislation
Of this country there is no mystery
equal to the decentralization of the sill
yer dollar of the United States. / have
pever met man who could tell just
how 1t came about or why. The bill
was passed without any allusion in de-
bate to the question of the retention
Or the abandonment Of the standard sill
ter dollar"
Evidently the crime was committed
after it had left the hands Of the COM
mittee, and before it was voted on in
Che house. How 1t passed that body is
thus described by Congressman Bright
81 Tennessee: ut passed by fraud in
Che house, never having been printed
in advance, being substitute for the
printed bill; never having been read at
ahe clerks desk, the reading having
been dispensed with by an impression
that the bill made no alteration in the
coinage laws; 1t was passed without
discussion. debate being cut off by
operation of the previous question. 1t
%as passed, to my certain informa-
dion, under such circumstances that
&he fraud escaped the attention of
Some Of the most watchful, as well as
the ablest statesmen in congress at the
Mme."
Senator Allison said in reference to
the subject when the secret history
OF 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
Both metals upon the French relation
anstead of on our own, which was the
true scientific position with reference
o. this subject in 1873 but that the
Sill afterward was doctored."
Senator Beck said "The bill never
was understood by either house Of con-
Rress." Senator Thurman said: "There
Is not a single man in the senate, I'M
Tess a member of the committee from
which the bill came, who had the
Allghtest idea that it was even a squint
toward decentralization"
Mr.. Holman, in the house, said "tht
measure and the methods OF its pass
age was a colossal swindle. 1t doet
not possess the moral force Of law"
Representative Cannon, of Illinois
saws the bill was not discussed anC
neither members Of congress nor thu
people understood the scope of thu
keGlslation.
Senator Hereford, Of West Virginia
IN a speech in the senate, said 1.-The bill
never was read, never was discussed
And the chairman of the committee
laid to Mr.. Holman, when asked tn
Question, that it did not affect tn
coinage in any way whatever"