Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1897-04-10

promote. as TAR as In their power, an In
ternational agreement for the free coin
age of silver under circum sta noes which
should make every dollar in silver as good
as every dollar in gold: and that pledge it
is our duty to-day by the passage of this
Dill to endeavor to respond to- (Applause.)
Secondly. Mr.. Speaker. 1 am in favor
of the passage of this bill. because be-
heve that its defeat under the circum-
stances under which it is presented. and in
view of the pledge which we made at the
St Louis convention. would result in a
tremendous injury to the sound money
cause tApplause9 1t must be under
stood that there are in this country fhou-
sands. yes.Tmill ions. of voters. who.
while opposed to the free coinage of silver
by this country alone. because they believe
1t would give us simply silver monometAl-
iisn- as believe it would. are yet in ia
vor of an honest effort. TO secure an inter-.
national agreement upon this point. be-
cause they believe that if that can be Sc
cured through the cooperation of the
commercial nations of the world. it will
give us currency. every dollar or which
shall be as good as gold. and that we
shall have a gold standard or it's equiva-
lent That it what they believe.
Now. in view of the fact that there
are millions of people who believe that
this can be accomplished. / hold. without
entering upon discussion as to the proba-
bilities of success. that it would be a
fatal mistake. practically. for this side of
the House, under those conditions. not TO
meet the wishes of those men. and give
thorough trial to this endeavor to oD-
tain an international agreement III II
fails. then we shall have done our full
duty in the premises, and no harm will
have happened. If it succeeds, then we
shall have secured throughout the COM
mercial world a universal and common
STANDARD of value that will promote IN
ternational trade. (Applause9 L be-
leve. therefore. under these circumstan-
ces. without entering upon discussion. that
it is the duty of every Republican. IN
view of the pledge that we have made,
| in view of the fact that we should dam
age the cause of sound money by refus-
| ing to meet our pledge. to vote for TINS
proposition. sU-FFs- ffr-F -
"One word further. When the sugges-
ton is smadesthat gentlemen in favor OF
silver at 16 to 1 are voting for this bill,
want you to read between the lines OF
| their speeches and you can understand
very distinctly that nothing would please
them SO much as to see this bill defeated
to-day. and if their votes would do IT,
they would cast them" -.f. ..f.,
Republicans Favorable to silver. sff
| Let .us take up the history of the ma
| tionel financial legislation year by year.
and show what Republicanism has done
| for bimetallism at home and abroad
The act of Feb. II. 1878. contains a pro-
| vision for the unlimited coinage of silver
| dollars Weighing 400 Troy grains, nine
gtenths fine. and made them legal tender
| for any amount not exceeding 3D. lhls
| was done upon the petition of the Repub-
| lican Legislature and Republican Gov
ernor of California, presented by the ie--
| publican Senator from that State. Inc
| act further provided for the use of sill
yer as subsidiary coin, SO that, with the
exception of the nickel 5-cent piece and
| the bronze cent. the white metal was
| able to become the entire small change
| of the American people after the resump-
| ton of specie payment. 1t did not pro-
| vide for the coinage of the old dollar of
41215 grains, nine-tenths fine, because
| that amount of silver was worth more
| than that, for years had been worth more
| than 100 cents in gold. and was no longer
brought to the mints for coinage by own
| ers OF bullion. being more valuable in
| that condition than a s coin. The Govern
| ment stamp, indeed, in that case, would
| have set it forth to the world as worth
| less than the silver used to form it, but
| that act of 1878 was ca reful not TO de-
| monetize the silver dollars already coin
| ed, containing in its sixty-seventh and
last section an express provision That
| this act shall not be construed to affect
| any act done, right accrued. or penalty in
] CURED upon former acts; but every suci,
right is hereby saved" And among
| these of course. the right of the silver
| dollar to pass as legal tender was chief.
| The Forty-third Congress. Republican
| in both bra inches, passed the act provid-
| ing for the res umption of specie pay
| ment. President Grant signed this bill
| on Jan. IA, 1915. and under its provis-
| ions the use of silver money metal
] passing current among the people was
| made possible, after many years use of
| deprecated paper If the Republican
| party had done nothing more than this in
/ the legislative field it would deserve well
| of the republic. By making the obliga-
tons of the United States payable in spe-
| Gle on the first day of January. 1879, it
/ laid the way for the highest possible use
! of silver throughout the land and attained
/ that standard whereby every dollar in cir
cuIation became equally and all as good
| as gold. For this it deserves the support
1 of every honest believer in bimetallism.
1 And in it's struggle to preserve its high
standard it must have his support. or we
| shall sink to the level of Mexico. o-
| Japan. nr 'sf5aH ...i..--e7 s-f ISL -
/ The Monetary Com Is sion.
On the 18th day of August, 1876. Pres
| ident Grant gave his approval to the
4 Joint resolutions already passed by the
| Republican, Senate. whereby commits
| sion was established having for its OBJ
| ject among others an inquiry
/ First-Into the change which has taken
| place in the relative values of gold and
| silver; the causes thereof. whether per
manent or otherwise; the effects thereof
| upon trade commerce and finance. and the
| productive interests of the country. and
| upon the standard Of value in this and
other countries
Second-Into the policy of the restora
ton of the double standard in this coun