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

Sherman tried to cover up the frauds by speak
ing of silver as good money of redemption, il
his speech in the Senate of that date.
FURTHER VIEW OF THE SUBJECT.
In his article Mr.. Cook says:
"The prohibition against standard dollar
was so complete nnder the act of 1873, that, tt
this day, Notwithstanding the many acts tina
have been passed since, at no time could any
owner of silver bullion take it to the mints ant
have it converted into standard dollars Ye
Mr.. Cook says nor was the coinage of the stand
ard silver dollars prohibited' Under the ac
OF 1S7Sthe government purchased silver bullion
and so under the act of 1890, but not since th
act of 1873 has any man had the right to take
his silver bullion to the mints and have it coin
ed, with or without charge"
Now beg to state that there is an advers
opinion as to that statement. All agree tha
the law of 1887 was free coinage law. Section
IA contains the following language;
''That gold and silver bullion brought to th
mint for coinage shall be received and coined
by the proper officers, for the benefit of the de
posltor"
81 think all will agree, also, that the law O
1884 repealed the free coinage law of 1887
Thus far all are agreed. But now comes the
double-barreled gun, known as
THE LAW OF 1873.
The first half of section I of that double
barreed statute says:
"'rhat there shall be coined, at the several
mints of the United States, silver dollars Of
the standard weight of four hundred and twelve
and half grains troy of standard silver, as pro-
vided in the act of January eighteenth, eighteen
hundred and thirty-seven (IS37), on which shall
be the devices and subscriptions provided by
said act; which coins together with all the sill
yer dollars heretofore coined by the United
States of like weight and fneness, shall be a
legal tender of their nominal value for all debts
and dues public and private, except where
otherwise expressly stipulated in the contract. y
That clause is thought by many good judges
to re-enact the law of 1887
The second clause read as follows:
"And the secretary of the treasury is author
lied and directed to purchase, from time to time,
silver bullion, at the m lrket price thereof, not
less than two million dollars worth per month
and cause the same to be coined monthly as
fast as purchased, into such dollars; and a sum
sufficient to carry out the foregoing provisions
of this act is hereby appropriated" etc.
1t is held by some that by law we had free
coinage under that act and, the only reason
we did not have it in fact, was the unfrendy
administration of the law; the law was not
obeyed; it was evaded and ignored Gin favor of
the goli interestl as tar as possible.
THE LAW OF 1880,
The law of 1890 says:
'sSecton 5. That so much of the act of
February 2S, 1878, as requires the month
ly purchase and coinage of the same into silver
dollars of not less than two million dollars nor
more than four million dollars worth of silver
bullion is hereby repealed"
1t will be noted that the dual nature of the
law of 1873 is recognized, and that only the
purchase clause of the act is repealed; leaving
the law of 1887 still in force
Believing that the law of 1873 revived the
free coinage law of 1887, Senator Stewart, i'll
January, 1902, offered in the senate resolution
of inquiry, asking the committee on judiciary
to examine into, and to report on the subject
somewhat in detail The discussion closed as
follows
"Mr. Morgan-I wish to ask the senator
whether any case has been made at the suit of
any individual, by mandamus or otherwise,
against the secretary Of the treasury, to make
him coin silver bullion?
"Mr Stewart-A suit has been instituted,
and it is pending i'll the aupreme court of the