Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-10-01

of the Committee on Coinage, | was as ignorant
of the fact that it would demonetize the silver
dollar, or, of its dropping the silver dollar from
our system of coins, as were those distinguish
ed Senators, Messrs. Blaine and Voorhees, who
were then members of the House, and each of
whom, few days since, interrogated the other.
did you know it was dropped when the bill
passed?' No. said Mr. Blaine, did you?'
No. said Mr. Voorhees,. Il do not think there
were three members of the House that knew it.
/ doubt whether Mr.. Hooper, who i'll my abb
sence from the Committee on Coinage, and i'll
attendance on the Committee on Ways and
Means, managed the BILL knew it, | say this
in justice to him."
Again on May 10, 1870, Mr. Kelly, said:
"All | can say is that the Committee on
Coinage, Weights and Measures, who reported
the original bill, were faithful and able, and
scanned its progress closely; that as their organ
| reported it; that it contained two provisions
for both the standard silver dollar and the trade
dollar. profess to know nothing of its history;
but | am prepared to say thet i'll this country
there is no mystery equal to the demonstration
of the standard silver dollar of the United States.
| have never found man who could tell just
how it came about, or why"
Now, when added to this array of testimony,
the fact that President Grant, who approved
the bill, did not know that it de:nonetized the
old silver dollar, it seems to Inc that the case is
pretty we'll proved that the bill, when it was
passed, did not contain Sections IS or II, as
they now stand in the law. Evidently Senator
Allison was right when he said that the bill was
"doctored'' or "changed' 'afterwards." And
evidently Senator Jones, and Messrs Bogy,
Willard, Bland and GroesEeck, after thoroughly
investig eating the matter, were right when they
stated that no law was ever passed by Congress
demonetizing the old silver dollar but, that
"The ancient money Of the country, instead of
being Intentionally legislated out of existence
by Congress, was revised out of existence"
And, even John Sherman, speaking on specie
payments in 1874, said:
81 may say the whole money and money of
the United States is placed by this bill under
the direction of the proper executive officers, not
only TO prepare for, but to maintain resumption,
and no man can doubt that if this bill stands
the law Of the land from this time to the first
day of January, 1869, specie payments will be
resumed and that our United States notes will
be converted at the will of the holder into gold
and silvercoin" Congressional Record, 1874,
page Io5, bottom of first column.
If silver had been delnonetized in 1873 John
Sherman must have overlooked the fact when
he uttered the above words.
But i'll March, 1875, Mr.. Sherman had heard
of the demonetization of silver, and the polit-
ical storm in Ohio and in all parts of the coun-
try had frightened him. So OH March 7, 1875,
in the United States Senate, he made speech
in favor of returning to the double standard!
He said silver had BEN demonetized through
the influence OF "Great Britain" He also said:
cit should be received as a fundamental fact,
so as to guide the statesman of this country, the
reverse of what suits England always suites us.
And as the exclusive gold standard undoubtedly
suites her, the double standard suites us"
Congressional Record, March, 1876 pages
I4SI-I4S2 }
How different that language sounds from the
language of his first bill of 1868, when, on his
return from London and Paris, he reported and
supported bill in favor of GA single standard
exclusively of gold," as an "American idea"
Hypocrites and scoundrels should have good
memories!
Surely have said and quoted enough to con-
vince my readers that the bill of 1873, when
passed did not demonetize the old standard silver
dollar. The work was evidently done afterwards,
by 'tdoctoring,' " "changng, and revising"
And, even as late as December 2s, 1874, John