Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-09-24
changed to suit its gold-bug parentage, and it
was superseded by
"a SUBSTITUTE.

ga SUBSTITUTE"
A substitute was presented by Hooper, OF
of Massachusetts, acting chairman of the house
committee on coinage, weights and measures.
Mr.. Hooper moved to ''suspend the rules and
pass the bill" A hard struggle was made by
a small minority to prevent that summary pro-
ceeding. Mr.. Brooks, of New York, asked
that time be given that other members could
be present, and especially his colleague, Mr..
Potter, who a member of the finance COM
mittee 1t was pleaded that the bill should at
least be read, but Mr.. Hooper would not con-
sent. His motion was put and carried; and
this Substitute" for the long considered bill OF
1870 was passed in the house in May, 1872,
without being discussed ever read. (Con-
gressional Globe, May, 1872, PIP. 3SS2-3O
THE SUBSTITUTE IN THE SENATE.
The substitute which had been so hastily
bolted through the house was taken up in the
senate. The senate proceedings very inter-
esting and instructive. They include copy
of the bill and the details of the amendments
and discussions. | have transcript OF the
proceedings before me on my table as write.
1t is found in the Congressional Record of Sep
tember, 1893, PIP. 1919 to 1890 The cause of
biinetalism and honest government is indebted
to Senator Stewart of Nevada, for this invalu
able transcript and dark-lantern legislation,
scattered as it is through so many almost mac
cessible volumes. The proceedings in the
mouse on the substitute begin on page 1917.
SECTION FIFTEEN.
Several sections of this bill were amended in
the senate, especially section IS, which was
first changed to the wording, and then en-
tirely stricken out, because it demonetized sill
yer for amounts above five ($5) dollars. (Con-
gressional Record Sept, 1893, page 1920,
second column, below the middle, marked 10
IS, and page 1927, second column, above mid
dle) That section was entirely stricken out
BY the amendment OF the senate, and on page
122 20 it will be seen that the house 'concurred"
in the senate amendments; yet, that section
promptly took its place in the statute-bock as
section (15) fifteen in the law of 1884, and
stands there to this day as good, "honest,"
gold d-standard law.
y,
ate and before 1t was stricken out, read as fol-
lows:
"That the silver Going of the United States
shall be t1ade dollar, half-dollar or ifty-cent
piece; quarter-dollar or twenty -hve-cent piece;
dime or ten-cent pice and the weight of the
trade dollar shall be four hundred and twenty
grains troy; the weight of the half-dollar shall
be twelve grams and onehalf of gram; the
ouarter.dolar and the dime shall be, respect
ivev, one half and one fifth of the weight Of
said half.dolar; and said coins shall be legal
tender for any amount not exceeding five dol
lars in any one payment"
That is the spurious interpolated section IS,
which never passed either house of congress,
aud ON which was founded revision which is
snoken of by the United States monetary con-
ference as follows:
"'rhe demonstration of silver, coined and
uncoined, was affirmatively completed in June,
1874, by the following section (3,576) of the
revised statutes: The silver coins OF the United
States shall be legal tender at their nominal
value for any amount not exceeding five dollars
in any one payment
The official report then continues: "No law
was ever passed by congress of which this lam
onaoe can be considered revision. The re-
vised statures were enacted in bulk. They
were intended to be a revision merely Of the
existing law without change or introduction of
new matter, and congress has been assured by
its committee on revision that no new matter
had been introduced into them. 1t was not
possible for the members of this committee to