The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1897-12-17

where otherwise expressly. stipulated in
the contract. The law itself clearly
shows that the silver dollar was not to
supersede the gold dollar; nor did CON
gress propose to adopt the single stand
ard Of silver, but only to create hi
metallic standard of silver and gold of
equal value and equal purchasing
power.
In other words, silver was redemp
tion money, just as gold was; and the
acceptance Of silver dollar in payment
of dollar debt absolutely extinguishes
that debt. The payment of anything
else than redemption money does not
put An end to the debt, even though
that be legal tender money which is of
fered and accepted. The man who
receives a s. greenback (which is legal
tender In exchange for debt does not
by that act cease to be a creditor for
that amount; for the transaction has
simply effected change of debtors,
and the government has assumed the
debt by virtue of the greenback promise
to pay five dollars But the payment
of a gold or a silver dollar was final in
wiping the debt out Of existence, and
for this reason the term primary money,
or redemption money, was applied to
legal tender gold or silver coins. Ac-
cording to Mr.. Sherman, then, the
Bland-Allison act placed this country
once more under the bimetallic stand
ard. All forms Of paper money We're
redeemable in silver, as they were in
gold, and debt no longer existed after
it was paid in silver dollars The Mat
thews resolution, passed by congress in
1878, declared the obligations of the gov
eminent payable lin coin of the pgose.
standard of weight and fineness." And
that included the silver dollar.
The silver dollar, then, was full legal
tender redemptionn money at the coin.
age ratio of 10 to /, Notwithstanding
the fact that the restriction imposed by
by the coinage laws prevented the but-
lion value of silver holding its old place
of $1.29 per ounce. But the silverdollar,
worth as bullion anywhere from 70 to 80
cts, as coined money passed at their full
face value. They were possessed of that
function Of final redemption without
which they could be no real money; and
as such under our laws every dollar of
the $s47, 900, 900 of bonds, and every
dollar Of the $500. 900, 900 Of paper named
in the presidents message was capable
of redemption in our standard silver
dollars. The phenomenal strength OF
silver money is shown in its history
under the treacherous treatment II re-
ceived in 1878, the meagre and INSULT
Gent atonement for that crime fur
nished by the Bland-Allison act, and
the covert hostility of the government
to silver up to 1891, and its open enmity
to 1t since that period. Even cursory
review Of these matters would occupy
too much space in single edition of
The Commonwealth, but it is my pres
ent purpose to pursue the inquiry into
the methods by which thu great con-
spiracy against the peoples money has
been conducted. As I shall prob
ably have occasion to refer again to
such quotations as / may make from
other sources, / beg those Of your
readers who take sufficient interest in
the subject to follow these articles to
preserve same for future reference, and
thereby avoid the necessity for much
re petition. BAcsPEARE