New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-11-06
The Winters Work in Washington-The
Message and the Treasury Report.

The following is an extract from private
letter, dated Washington, October 81:
The Secretary of the Treasury is busily
engaged on his annual report. He will
speak in very decided tones of the neces.
sity of speedy resumption of specie pay
ments as the only means of renewed pros
perity for the country. The President, in
his message, will take the same positive
tone. 1T is thought here not impossible that
the President may in his message make
suggestions or recommendations to Con-
gress on the subject of resumption of such
kind as will bring the matter before the
houses at once, and with the object of
forcing the Democratic majority in the
lower house to take decided attitude upon
the question. Republican politicians here
suggest that this would be an embarrass-
ment to the Democratic leaders, which
would pretty certainly make trouble for
them. Much curiosity is felt to see how
the Southern Democrats in the new Con-
gress will stand on the currency question.
1t is said in some quarters that the Presi
dent may recommend measure calcul ated
to bring about almost immediate resump
ton, and that in case he does he will argue
that the country is ready for such an event;
that nearly all prices are down to a specie
basis; that business and industry can not
rebegin until the currency is settled that
everything waits for this, and that the
prosperity of the country demands resump-
ton and sound currency without further
delay, and to resume by the fourth OF July
of next year would make the centennial
year still more marked in our history
There is no doubt that the administration
regards the currency as one of it's strong
cards; but there are Republican politicians
here who think it too good card to be
played at once. They say that it is prob
oh hat fhn -
make the blunder which they have made
before of declaring for imitation, and they
point to Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and
to the Democratic journals of the West and
South to show that the predominant in
huences in that party are for initiation. In
this case they say that the Republicans
could hope to succeed in the presidential
campaign on the platform of honesty and
good money, and that, therefore, it is wiser
for the administration to put Itself upon the
act of last session, which commands resump-
ton in 1879. This law the Secretary OF the
Treasury will obey in all its particulars I'M
til it ia repealed or changed.
But whatever may be suggested in the
message and the treasury report, it is
pretty certain that the design is to enbar-
rass, as far as possible, the Democrats in
the House, and to force them, if possible, to
put themselves on the record, one way or
another, in the expectation that whatever
they propose will widen the breach between
the hard and soft money wings Of their
party. The Senate, which will have q
slight majority for q sound currency, is
likely to open the battle on the Republican
side by some measure amendatory of the
resumption bill. This, on being sent to the
House, would of course bring the question
up there, and compel the Democrats to de-
clare themselves. On the other hand, the
Democrats will retort by vigorous investi.
cations of the departments, and there is q
general impression here that they will make
damaging discoveries.-New York Herald.