The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-03-21
rs THE PRESIDENT HEsITATING7

Whoever has paid attention TO news
tbat comes from Washington. VIII nave
learned that when an important event
&c annroachlng the dispatches sent out
bv the regular news agencies contain
foresbadowings Of what is to come. These
dispatches so in common TO all the news
papers Of the country, and they are
therefore used by the authorities as
means OF communicating what is about
TO happen to the public mind. and thereby
preparing II for the event The event
sometimes Turns out differently from
what the dispatches indicate, but when
this is the case it is usually because the
preliminary announcement provokes an
adverse comment from the people Of pro-
portions that discourage the anticipated
programme.
our regular press dispatch Of yesterday
concerning the seisniorage bill fore
Swallowed two Conclusions first. that the
President would not allow the bill TO
become law without action on it by
him, and. second that there was great
probability he would sign it.
As for the first point, we have never
yet been able to bring ourselves to be-
Heve that Mr.. Cleveland would dodge
this issue and allow the act 10 become
a law without his signature. He has
never yet been afraid to declare him
self upon whatever public question may
agitatc the minds of the people, and we
could not believe that cowardice which
he has never heretofore shown would
overmaster him now. We have always
felt perfectly sure that he would act
on the bill one way or another. and
would either veto 1t or approve it out
right. In common with all well-in-
formed people the President is
perfectly au courant with all the facts
that he is represented as looking into,
and he has certainly got too much sense
to waste his time in reading the foolish
speeches that were made in Congress
while the bin was before that body. Inc
President knows as well as everybody
else knows, that the bin Is very sim
pie bill to create S55,0OOO0e Of fiat money
a bill to make that many things be called
dollars which are not dollars. but which
a Government purposes TO force its own
citizens 10 recognize and treat as dol
lars by its own brute, physical power.
Its danger is not in its addition Of
S55. 900 900 Of debased coin to our money.
It's danger lies in its proclamation TO
the world that these United States are
in favor Of fiat money. and, therefore, Of
paying their foreign creditors what they
owe them If it suits. or. if 1t does not,
in scaling their debts down to such sums
as will suit. That is the injury which
1t will do us. and that is an injury which
is incalculahle in its extent.
The same dispatch says that the leaders
Of the Democratic party at Washing
ton are using every influence to induce
the President to sign the bill, urging on
him that it will be impossible to hold the
party united if he vetoes it. 1t also in
dicates that the President is hesitating
inclined to sfcld to them if they viii
give him assurance that no further sill
yer legislation shall be attempted during
his administration.
We hope most sincerely that the Presi-
dent will not break down al this point
1t is not possible to have a united Demo
cratic party if fiat money is to be a
plank in the Democratic platform, and
Mr. Cleveland win be wasting his ener-
gies when he attempts TO construct any
such platform for the party TO stand
on. 1t is just as impossible for him to
unity the party upon the basis Of fiat
money as it is for the Democratic leaders
to guarantee that there will be no fur
Their attempts at silver legislation during
his term.