A copy of the printed bill was many times on the table of every
Senator, and I now have all of them here before me in large type. It was
considered at much length by the appropriate committees of both Houses
of Congress; and the debates at different times upon the bill in
the Senate filled sixty-six columns of the _Globe_, and in the House
seventy-eight columns of the _Globe_. No argus-eyed debater objected by
any amendment to the discontinuance of the silver dollar. In substance
the bill twice passed each House, and was finally agreed upon and
reported by a very able and trustworthy committee of conference, where
Mr. Sherman, Mr. Scott, and Mr. Bayard appeared on the part of the
Senate. No one who knows anything of those eminent Senators will charge
them with doing anything secretly or clandestinely. And yet more capital
has been made by the silver propagandists out of this groundless charge
than by all of their legitimate arguments.'

* * * * *

The gold standard, it may confidently be asserted, is practically
far cheaper than that of silver. I do not insist upon having the gold
standard, but if we are to have but one, I think that the best. The
expense of maintaining a metallic currency is of course greater than
that of paper; but it must be borne in mind that a paper currency is
only tolerable when convertible at the will of the holder into coin--and
no one asks for more than that. A metallic currency is also subject
to considerable loss by abrasion or the annual wear; and it is quite
important to know which metal--gold or silver--can be most cheaply
supported. A careful examination of the subject conclusively shows that
the loss is nearly in proportion to the length of time coins have been
in circulation, and to the amount of surface exposed, although small
coins, being handled with less care, suffer most. The well-ascertained