The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1898-02-04

or silver all Of its paper presented, / be-
lieve 1T would have worked benehcially
and there would have been no trouble
growing out Of ii"
As / have elsewhere shown. BY an
extract from Secretary sherman's re-
port Of Dec. 1, 1878, the option Of the
government to either pay in gold OF
silver coin WINS expressly and officially
reserved and was never surrendered
until October 1891 less than eighteen
months before Mr. Carlisle became the
head Of the treasury department So
the precedent on which he relied for
justification Of his course had no eEis-
tence except from Oct, 1891, to March
a, 1898. Mr.. Carlisle admits in that
statement his belief that the payment
Of our government obligations in either
gold OF silver, at the option Of the gov
eminent would have worked beneh.
ciallyp in spite Of the divergence In the
bullion value Of the two metals, II the
governments option had been reserved.
Well, the restoration of the govern.
mont's option was a matter Of official
record 1t was shown in the Bland-Al.
lison law which directed the coinage
OF silver bullion into standard dollars.
fall legal tender in the payment Of all
debts, Its restoration was expressed in
the Stanley Matthews resolution,
which solemnly declared the obliga-
tions Of this government payable in
esther gold or silver coins It was eI,
pressIy reserved in Secretary Sherman's
official report made to congress on the
second day Of December, 1878. 1t was
plainly implied in the Sherman law Of
1890, and expressly stipulated in the
face Of those very treasury notes issued
under that law, which were made Bpe,
officially payable lin coin" but which
President Cleveland afterwards stated
in his official message, had together
with the greenbacks, become gold OBJ
ligati0na' Of the government.
What made the treasury notes
(which were specifically redeemable
I'm coin'J and the greenbacks (which
were not specifically redeemablo in
anything but "dollars') gold obliga-
tions? Was it law2 No. As I have
shown in the preceding papers, the law
has always recognized the silver dollar
as standard money-redemption money.
Was it the demand Of congress2 No.
With all the leverage given by the i'm
monso paronago at his disposal. and
the INSCRIPTIONS use of his power to
intimidate and browbeat weak kneed
congressman, Cleveland could only sue.
coed in carrying out John sherman's
repeal policy by misrepresentation and
subterfuge. and many Of the men who
were mislsd into voting for uncondi-
tional repeal las Senator Voorhees,, for
instance were astounded at the bad
faith Of the administration when 1t We
toed the bill passed by the same COZ
gress) providing for the coinage Of sill
yer bullion then held in the treasury
vaults, Did the people, or any great
political party ever demand that the
government obligations be made pay.
bic in goldl No. No great party has
ever dared to go before the people on
any such platform, and no platform,
except that framed by the democratic
boilers at indianapolis in 1896, ever de-
clared for the single gold standard
The gold standard candidates did not
carry a single county in the United
States What, then, made the govern
ment currency gold obligatioasy II
/ have failed to show that this end was
due to the sharp practices and crafty
methods inaugurated by John Sherman,
transmitted by him to Secretary FoB-
ter and continued by Cleveland, then
/ have fallen short Of the purpose / had
in view, to prove as nearly as proof a
be made, the long continued existence
Of a conspiracy against silver, That
Mr. Cleveland was a party to this in
famous scheme is thus attested in a
speech made by Mr.. Mckinley during
the canvass last year, when speaking Of
national finances
Every dollar representing n hun
bred cents and good not only among
our own people, but wherever trade
goes, in every mart and market place
of the world. 1t was made by the re.
publican party; but, let me say, while
It was made by the republican party,
the administration Of Grover Cleveland
has maintained it,
This seems to be direct and definite.
Mr.. McKinley's connection with silver
must be shown later.
B~ACSPEARE.
FOR ANNEXATION.