been taken to be one dollar, and that it is now desired to
supplement it with the use of silver." I had not supposed that any
person in the world could be under the influence of a delusion to the
extent of propounding three such hypotheses as the foregoing. Mr. Lepper
might with equally good reason, in discussing the constitution of
nature, have said, "Let us assume that the world is a circular disk of
tin," or rather, "Let us assume that the world has always been
_regarded_ as a circular disk of tin. Let us assume that the world,
being a circular disk of tin, weighs 3,820 lbs., and that it is now
desired to improve its constitution by adding forty pounds to its weight
and by converting it into a square block." These propositions would be
just as philosophical, just as useful in argument, and just as well
warranted as those which he presents! His assumption is that gold _only_
has been used as money. But it is not true that gold only has been used
as money. It is not true that gold principally has been used as money.
It is not true that gold has been as widely used as silver. It is not
true that it is as universally used to-day as silver. It is not true
that it was used at as early a day as was silver. It is not true that it
has been used as a standard unit of money and account in the United
States as long and as universally as silver has been used. It is
therefore absurd to say, "Let us assume that gold only has been used as
money." It is preposterous to offer such a hypothesis. If we should
grant the affirmative of such an assertion, we should rush into a region
of falsehood and fanaticism identical in all particulars with that
station which the goldites now occupy, and from which they send forth
their clamor.

Mr. Lepper says further: "Let us assume that 25.8 grains hitherto have
been taken to be one dollar." But it is not true that 25.8 grains of
gold have hitherto in our American system been taken to be one dollar.
It is true that, according to our fundamental statute, and to all
subsequent statutes down to the year 1873, 25.8 grains of gold were
taken to be of _the value_ of a dollar; but they were not a dollar. Our
gold eagles were of _the value_ of ten dollars; our half eagles were of
_the value_ of five dollars; our double eagles were of _the value_ of
twenty dollars; our quarter eagles were of _the value_ of two and
one-half dollars; our one-dollar gold piece, of 1849, was _not_ one
dollar, but was of _the val