Evening journal., 1913-09-17
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
How a Famous Family Was
Divided on Currency
Question
BY Holland.

The late Noah Davis. who at one
time was chief Justice of the appellate
division Of the supreme Court Of New
York and who was beaten for the
Republican caucus nomination for the
United States Senate by Roscoe Conk-
ling 10y only two votes, once asked me
question In half humorous man
ncr which could not for the time
answer. That question was this:
What candidate for President of the
United States failed TO receive the
support of either his son or his SON
in-law 90
saw by the twinkle in Judge
Daviss eye that he put the question
half iestingly. and I SO intimated
"No.n he said. "i am In earnest.
There was a Presidential candidate of
so recent a date that you could have
voted for him. If you had supported
his views. who was repudiated as n
candidate both by his son and by his
son-in-law You surely cannot have
forgotten that Peter Cooper was the
candidate for the Greenback party for
President In 1876. and that he was
supported ny q good many men who
were of real influence and who agreed
with him in the view that the ideal
currency for the United States was
government notes similar to the
ereenbacks.
Peter Cooper's son. Edward Cooper
who was afterward Mayor of New
York and his son-in-law. ADram
S. Hewitt. who was also Mayor of
New York. repudiated the candidacy
of Peter Cooper because they were
strongly opposed to the fiscal prin-
ciples which he advocated.
Il have been told,' continued Judge
Davis, now speaking very seriously,
that It would have been a very great
privilege If any one could have been
a guest of Peter Cooper during the
Presidential campaign of 1876. For at
his table and in his reception-room
after dinner there was discussion be-
tween him and his son-in-law, Mr.
Hewett, and his son, Edward Cooper,
which ought to have been taken down
in shorthand and then printed. These
discussions would have furnished a
valuable symposium upon economic
subjects and especially the subjects
of money and currency. Mr.. Hewitt
was at that time chairman of the
Democratic National Committee, so
that he was carrying on an active
political campaign against his father
in-law. The family relations, how
ever, we're unimpaired and / sup
pose that IL is a fact not to be ques-
toned that these relations were ideal.
Il have been told that occasionally
guests at Mr.. Cooper's house sat si-
lent, wholly fascinated by the great
ability and profunditory of reasoning
which was revealed on the one hand
by Peter Cooper in support of his
doctrine that the credit and faith of
the United States should be a suf-
ficient guarantee of the high quality
of government notes, and on the
other by Mr. Hewitt. who held fast
to what he called not only the sound
Democratic doctine. but the sound
economic doctrine, that money could
not be the invisible and intangible
thing which the credit and faith of
the United States government are,
| but must be a medium of exchange
| visible. recognized the world over,
bearing the high quality which gold
and silver have possessed and a com
modify.
1.-THE discussions sometimes lasted
until late In the night Peter Cooper
had no expectation of being elected
President He somewhat reluctantly
consented 10 accept the nomination
of the Greenback, OF Independent
party. and only did so because he was
assured. that his nomination would
give strength and dignity to thai
party.
After the election Mr. Hewitt as
sured me that Peter Cooper's view
about the greenbacks was absolute
ly sincere and he further said tina
Mr.. Cooper often remarked that were
he a younger man he would conf
IDENTIFY look forward TO the day wheI
the people would accept and adop
his views on the efficacy and suf
fciency of government paper cur
rency.
Then Mr. Hewitt would add quit
as confidently that n Mr.. Cooper
lived to the age of Methuselah n
would not live long enough to see tn
American people as a whole adop
his ideas. unless the character of tn
American people was completed
changed"
Copyright. 1913. by. b. ]. Ed
wards. All rights reserved)
Tomorrow Mr. Edwards will tell q
"The Early Education of Anthony \
Brady"