Year: 1879

Gen. Weaver, of Iowa, on the 10Th inst.
in the House of Representatives., delivere,
an able argument against the monetar,
conspiracy, from which we take the con
Guiding remarks:


Mr.. Weaver. Talk about the extrava
gance of the people! The author of tha
letter is spending more money to-day il
his trip around the world than most of ou
poor constituents who labor for their Hv
ing will ever see or handle, and yet he ad
yises the money kings of this country t,
combine to crush them. The New Yorl
clearinghouse and other financial organi
cations took him at his word; and the sec
retary Of the treasury, although an officer
not even named in the constitution, being
a mere cabinet minister whose highest du
ty and pleasure should be to obey and en-
force the laws, shook hands with Wal
street and Lombard street, aad struck
hands with General Grant across the water
and with the men of this country who have
fixed incomes, and says he will not pay
outsilver. Let me show you what he says:
Here Is letter written by this eminent
cabinet officer, addressed 40 the Honest
Money League at Chicago Laughter.
Honest money! The letter is dated the
Both of January last, He says:


81 have clear conviction that the
forced payment Of the silver dollar topub-
lie creditors would tend to depreciatc 1t
and cause it at once TO be sold in the mar
ket at less than par. While
it is the duty of the government to coin
different kinds of money, public policy
dictates it should be within the power OF
the citizen, at his option, to demand
either form OF lawful money"


| Thus the secretary stands up in his
place, not to obey the law, but to say: 81
have conviction that if obey the law it
will injure the value Of silver" This re-
minds me of an incident that happened
when an effort was being made to launch
one OF our great steamers. A sub-engin-
eer in charge Of part of the work feared
that there was some defect Or fault in her
construction which would prevent her
from being safely launched. There was
great confusion when the chief officer came
upon the scene, saying, Launch herr
Launch her! I'll take the responsibility. "
Applause


Now, the American people say to the
secretary Of the treasury through the law
OF tn land, You are our servant; you
have no law-makIng power; we have told
yon to pay out the money and you must
do it, and we will take hereSponsimlity. "
Let me call particular attention to this re-
markable language of the secretary:


"Whlle 1t is the duty Of the govern
ment to coin different kinds of money, a
public policy dictates it should be within
the power Of the citizen, at his option, to
demand either form of lawful money"
You will see that this places an absolute
veto against silver in the hands of the
public creditor The law says that it
shall be legal tender money for the bond.
| The secretary is bound by it, but he says
| the pubic creditor shall determine what
he will take, and not the law, The Presi.
dent had qualified veto of the bill, and
the bill failed, But the secretary, like an
autocrat, conters upon the public creditor
more power than the president possessed.
He gives HIM an absolute veto. If that is
to be the law the bonds can never be paid.
| Again, he has coined under the law the
minimum instead ofthe maximum amount.
shall, If am recognized for that pur-
pose, at the proper time, offer the follow
ing amendment:


"'Ihs secretary of the treasury is hereby
directed and required to cause to he paid
out without discrimination standard sill
yer coin the same as gold coin in liquida-
tion OF coin obligations against the gov
ernment.


This amendment should be incorporated
into this bill, and then am in favor of
passing it. And those who take the res.
possibility to defeat this measure, de-
manded by every consideration of pvbhc
duty and justice, and by the almost uni
versal public sentiment, will have to doso.
The American people shall understand it.
The National Grcenback party Is not in
favor of undue expansion of the currency.
We believe in IL trinity in finance, gold,
silver and legal tender paper, all issued by
the government and not by banking cor
porations, and all full legal tender. Ap-
plause


The gentleman from Indiana Mr.. De La
MatyrI introduced petition here, but he
discIamed upon the floor that it was his
bill or that he indorscd it; yet the most
indecent illusions a man would dare to
make on this floor have been INDUCED to-
ward him. He seems to be the center of
their abuse and detraton.


Mr.. Thomas Tumer-Did the abuse
come from this side Of the house?
Mr.. Weaver-No, sir. Loud cries of
"Oh, no.! from the Republican side of
the house hope the gentleman from
Indian Mr. De La Matyrl will payne at
tentiOn to the abuse. The post Of honor
is the post OF danger. You may FIRE off
your blank cartridges from the guns of
your syndicate. Fire! We are here, and
the National Greenback party has come to
stay, ] notify you Of that. Applause.
The wOrkmen may fall, but the work will
90 on. There is no doubt about that.
The gentleman from Michigan Mr..
IIor pranced down the aisle the other
day, and facing the little party in the cen
ter, poured out the yials Of his wrath.
His effort was full of impotent rage and
utterly void of argument. | wonder if
there was any stringency in the money
market up in his district, if there had
been any bankruptcies thereP Then the
distinguished gentleman from New York


Mr. Chittendenl yesterday delivered a
very interesting speech, and suppose he
considers it crusher; as a philippe it
was success; but it was as devoid of ar
gument as the exhumed skull of a mound
builder. The gentleman styled himself "a
capitalist and a robbcr." lie was careful
to say that he was nota brother to any man
who "owned" u bank, who "owned"
house, or who 'owned" a railroad But
he expresses no sympathy for the vast
army Of the unemployed who town" moth
ing but their labor. He claims no fellow
ship with them,


Gentlemen if you want to discuss this
question, do it in gentemanly manner.
Let us discuss the question calmly and
logically. You cannot sneer this great
movement out of existence. Ridicule has
been your only argument thus far.'


Over the wires this morning was flashed
the news that the workingmen's party had
carried California by ten thousand major
ity, and although the workingmen's bill
to enforce the eight honr law was defeat
ed in this house yesterday, let me tell you
that your action will recoil upon you, and
will come back with redoubled force. The
eyes OF the people are upon you and you
can not escape. Remember that when
the American congress says that We will
not enforce law which was passed in the