Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-24

The truly remarkable and altogether in
applicable combination performance of Sen
ators PETER and Hill which took place in
the Senate yesterday in the presence OF a
large. distinguished. and very much sur
prised audience, gave Senator German an
opportunity to rise to the full stature OF
craftsmanship; and the opportunity was
not lost Using direct language that was
Incapable of perversion. the senior Senator
from Maryland presented broad gauge
and patriotic argument.at which the would
be-disturbers threw spit-balls without ef-
feet Merely to have it said in Kansas that
he had once more assailed the money
power" Senator PETER introduced a resolu-
ton by the terms of which, had 1t been
adopted. Secretary Carlisle would have been
called upon to inform the Senate whether
certain national banks were not conduct
ing their business In violation Of law. Now
everyone who has even the slightest &c
quaintance with banking methods must
know that during such periods of distur-
bance contingencies arise which must be
provided for or universal ruin would re-
suit Mr.. PETER, who il not supposed to
know anything about sound finance or
thoughtful politics. did not surprise any
one by his senseiess raid upon the banks.
but there was establishment when Senator
David Bennett Hill-representing the great
est OF mercantile OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES to
the support Of the bewhiskered westerner.
Just why he did so has not yet been figured
out Does he desire to embarrass the ad-
ministration simply because the adnuinis-
tration's head butted him out Of the Chi
cago conventionf Is it a bid for populist
support In 1896? Is Hill jealous OF Germans
influence In and out Of the Senate? Or does
he desire nothing more than the institution
OF suits against q number Of banks in New
York and other cities merely because they
are and have been doing the best they pos
sibly could to avert panic and to re-estab-
hsh business on a sound and mutually
profitable basis? But whatever Senator
Hills motive-and 1t certainly Is OF the
demagog1c variety-he failed entirely to
overset the words OF Senator German, who
said that the case was far from being Few.
The same thing" he said, occurred In
1873 1877. 1890 and now In 1893. when 1t was
Impossible for the banks to literally COM
ply with the law. They violated IL by re-
though the amount was on deposit. They
issued clearing house certificates by the
millions as they are doing today. They did
and the controller of the currency, whose
sworn duty IL Is TO enforce the law. may
not have had oficial Information Of it.
They must know, however. that the strict
enforcement Of the law would close the
doors Of many Of the best banks In the
country. Such action WOulC not only I'M
pair the usefulness Of banks. but would
affect injuriously every commercial inter
est Never during the whole period of the
existence Of the national banks has pc
Rod arrived half as threatening as the one
which confronts Us today. There Is not
man i know OF outside Of this chamber.
no matter what his Views may be as to the
remedy. who does not know that there is a
technical violation Of the law and that 1t
Is the patriotic duty Of the Secretary of the
Treasury to Sorbear and not add to the dis
tress but watt until We shall act and give
relief"
And yet both PETER and Hill insisted up
on their resolution. which was, however
effecually buried at the foot of the calea-
dar. Had It gone through there would have
been instant and extremely distressing re-
Spouse. Prevented from extending aid in
their own way-recognized by financiers as
the best and safest for all the parties con-
Of solid institutions would
have been embarrassed and thousands of
business firms who have SO far with stood
the pressure must have gone to the wall:
and to bring about such a state Of affairs
A PETER and David B. Hill yester-
day Joined hands, They will reap heir re-
ward Senator German IS to be congrat-
MATED on having come down on the fence;
the walking Is SO much hrrner in the
ground
Statesmen who have not yet des >sadcd
from the top rail should remember T. at
he that Is down needs fear no fall"