Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-09-19
"The bill then passed the house in the
substitute from under suspension of the
rules.
Kelly Knew Not the Effects.

substitute from under suspension of tn
rules.
Kelly Knew Not the Effects.
"Mr. Kelly, of Pennsylvania, who intro
duced the bill, declared on the floor OF tn
house in 1878 that, though he was chair
man of the committee on coinage, he wa
] ignorant of the fact that it would de
monetize the silver dollar (Congres
sional Record, vol. Z, part 2, page 1905
Mr.. Blaine, who was speaker of the hous,
when the bill passed, declared on the foo
of the senate in 1878 that he did no
know any thing that was ID the bill at all,
and that little was known or cared on thu
subject (Same, page 1868 Gen. Gar
field declared that he knew nothing about
it. Congressional Record, vol. z, part l
page $685. Mr.. Holman, of Indiana, de
clared that the passage of the bill through
the house was "a colossal swindle,' ant
never had the sanction of the house.
Congressional Record, vol. 4, part g. ap,
pendix 1887 Mr.. Cannon, of Illinois
said: Neither members of congress nor
the people understood the scope of the
legislation Same, page 1867
ut is evident from these declarations
that the house was led blind-folded into
the passage of the bill, not only by the
adroit manner in which all mention of it's
main purpose was avoided, but by Mr..
Hooper's misleading assurance that it had
been 30 changed as to meet all elections
that had been made.
"In the senate the bill WAS taken up for
consideration on the 18th of January,
1873, and debated and passed on that
day. All the debate that was ever had
upon it in that body took place on that
date.
"The bill, as it passed the senate, con-
tradicts in plain terms some positive as
sertions made by Mr.. Sherman during de-
bate upon it, as to the provisions it con-
tained concerning the standard silver dol.
lar. 1t demonetized silver, which he de-
clared to the senate it did not. Mr..
Hooper had misled the house by omissions,
evasions and indirections; Mr.. Sherman
deceived the senate by direct misrepre-
sentations. This was the CRIME of 1872
"The ineffaceable proof of this serious
accusation ls contained in the report Of
the senate proceedings of January II,
1873, in the Congressional Globe, from
which will quote some passages. Con-
gressional Globe, parts and 2, third ses-
sion, 42d congress, pages 66S674.
"There was no reference in the debate
to the fact that the bill would abolish the
legal tender quality of silver. The house
bill changed the weight of the silver dollar
from 4l21s grains to 384 grains, and made
it, like the smaller coins, a legal tender
for IS only. Mr.. Sherman had reported
an amendment to strike this out, and in.
sert trade dollar to weigh 420 grains,
with the same Limitation as to legal ton
der quality. The bill prohibited the is
suance from the mints of any coins not
named therein. This was to make sure
that the 4121s s-grain dollars would not
survive by any implication.
"The debate on the subject of the silver
dollar came up incidentally only, on the
question of the provision
to omit the figure of the eagle from silver
coins, Mr.. Casserly, of California, object-
ing to it.
Sherman Covers Up the Scheme.
"Mr. Sherman stated that the reason
for leaving off the eagle was to make
room for the words describing the weight
and fineness of the coin. When pressed
for reason for doing this, he stated that
It was recommended by the officers of the
mint. He said:
"'The reason given to us is because it
1as been adopted as mode of interna-
;lonal coinage
GAS Mr.. Casserly became quite insist
mt, Mr.. Sherman went into the subject |
more explicitly. He declared that the |
dill provided for international silver dol |
ars. He referred Mr. Casserly to the pre-
'eding section (15), which, in the form IN
which it passed the house, provided for
'4S-grain dollar, which, as he explained,
vas the exact weight of the 5-franc piece
If France. Here are Mr.. Sherman's |
words:
"If the senator will allow me, he will |
ee that the preceding section provides
or a coin which is exactly interchan g cable
With the English shilling and the 5-franc
,iece of France; that is, 5-franc piece
# France will be the exact equivalent of
J dollar of the United States in our silver
coinage, and in order to show this wher-
ver our coin shall foat-and we are pro-
'iding that it shall float all over the
Vorld-we propose to stamp upon it in
tead of our eagle, which foreigners may
lot understand, and which they may not
distinguish from buzzard or some other
'ird, the intrinsic fineness and weight of
he COIN"
"The section to which Mr.. Sherman re-
erred Mr.. Cassefly was section Is, which,
8 it came from the house, did provide
or silver dollar of the exact weight of
French 5.franc piece, namely 384 grains.
'ut the Record shows that when Mr..
'herman uttered the above quoted words
cotton Is had just been amended by his
wn motion by striking out the 3S4 grain
ollar and substituting the 420 grain
trade" dollar. And yet he told the SEN
to that the bill still provided for sill
er dollar of the weight of the French s.
ranc piece. This was palpable mis-
representation.
"The question may be asked, How
ould Mr.. Sherman thus deceive the sem
te as to its own action of few moments
'efore? The reply is that the bill was
elng hurried through by him on his
at the outset, that its consider
tion would not probably consume any
more time than the time consumed in
eading it, That meant that its seventy
me sections contained nothing Of suffi-
lent Importance to even require ex-
'lanation by him, much less to call for
ebate. It was represented by him to
70 merely bill to enact into law some
hsnges in the mintage laws which the
mint officers deemed necessary. He evil
emily satisfied the senators that IL was
ot worth their serious attention. Those
rho have any acquaintance with senate
'roceedings understand very we'll that
uoh mere routine legislation as this was
epresented to be attracts no attention
q the senate chamber. The senator in
barge ls trusted to truthfully state its
bjects, and no one thinks of doubling
10 word. He goes through the form Of