Year: 1874

may bear witness as to whether
either of the Senators from Pennsylya-
MIA has been derelict in their duty or
cowardly in maintaining the interests
of the State. Both of them, l trust,
have too much respect for themselves
and their associates to suppose they
could or would consent to force any
bill upon the Senate.


When falsehoods are published as
my opinion upon public questions, in
which the people of my State are
largely interested, as if uttered by me,
my duty to them, they say, requires
that l avail myself of the only means
left me of meeting and refuting such
an assumption. The reporter of the
Philadelphia Press had no authority
to write any such opinion or theory.
| hold no intercourse with him.


| have not hesitated to announce
my belief that specie payments could
not be resumed in the near future,
and could not be maintained under
all circumstances. favor free bank
ing under United States notes issued
through the banks, based upon bond
bearing lower rates of interest than
those upon which the present nation
al bank currency is issued, and re-
deemable primarily by the banks and
ultimately by the government, either
in coin or interest bearing bonds. IL
] | cannot secure that, | will favor the
best system of free banking that can
be secured by notifications of the
present national bank laws, incorpo-
rating among them some provision
for the redemption of these notes


To paper currency unlimited in
amount and irredeemable in anything
more valuable than itself when it falls
below par | am opposed, believing it
to be injurious to the permanent and
best interests of all classes Of society;
and these opinions | have not hesita-
ted to express upon the floor of the
Senate, although the condition of my
throat, in consequence Of a bronchial
disease, has been such that / have
refrained from speaking at length
upon this and many other questions
that | desired to have spoken upon.
But upon this very subject, upon the
very day on which this dispatch was
sent from the city of Washington to
the Philadelhia Press, in answer to
a suggestion of my colleague, / said
upon the floor Of the Senate, and it is
so reported in the Record.


Now, on the subject of specie pay
ments, while | do not wish to be di-
verted for the purpose Of discussing
that question, my colleague equally
inexperienced my position. | am
not only not in favor Of the immedi-
ate resumption of specie payments,
but | do not think it possible for US
to resume specie payments immedi-
ately, nor at any time in the very
near future. He and /, / think,
agree on the subject. go further,
and say that after we have resumed,
it is not possible that we should keep
up that resumption during all time,
and especially during panics."


The closing inference of this dis
patch, which is put as if it were nv
declaration, is that favor this policy
because desire 20 reduce the we ses
of labo" here to level with that OF
the pauper labor in Europe That is
it in substance Now, sir, If there be
any Senator upon this floor who is
open to charge Of advocating q
policy which, instead of diminishing,
will increase the wages of labor, /
am open to that charge, and it can
be sustained by numerous quotations
ftom my speeches when the tariff and
revenue bills have been under discus
sion, to none of which will l delay
in referring here; but / condense my
whole opinions upon that question,
in speaking upon that subject, into
the declaration that | believe that the
policy which | was then advocating
would keep up the wages of labor,
and that that policy would make la
Dor contented and capital secure.
have never entertained or uttered
such sentiment about the wages o
labor as that reported in the Pres
aud quoted in the Courier. Is is 8
fabrication and falsehood.


Now, Mr.. President, with the pro
prietor Of the paper which first CAV,
currency to this falshood, or with th'
instrument he uses TO furnish suci
material for his columns, can hav,
no controversy. / have referred t.
instances of misrepresentation whicl
have been, perhaps, intended to affec
me both personally and in my publi
character, but not for the purpose 0
entering into my personal controver
sy. depart, in this instance, iron
the rule of life, to live down slande
instead of noticing it, because my
constituents have demanded it of m,
as public duty. 1t is only ia re
sponse to their demand that rise 70
the purpose of saying TO this constit
uency, who thus consider it my dut,
to notice this unauthorized fabrica
tion Of my opinions upon a publi
question, nor my conduct in th'
Senate upon any question, is likel,
to be correctly or fairly reported il
the dispatches of paper represente,
here, with the knowledge of its pre-
prietor, by one who, when speaking
of me, has been more frequently q
eavesdropper and libeller than al
impartial journalist.


|, THE old school books gave very
exaggerated ideas of many thing'
They were mapnifyinp glasses 70