Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-17
What Congressman Walker Says Of
the Measure Agreed On.
IMPORTANCE OF QUESTIONS INVOLVED
The Committees Report Prepared
in Advance and Not Read.
ADMINISTRATIONS PURPOSE

Congressman Walker of Massachusetts,,
speaking OF the Importance Of the Carlisle
currency bill. and of the necessity of hav-
ing full consideration on the subject by the
House, says:
THE questions involved in this bill are
more important than in any that will come
before the House. They are more vital
even than the appropriation bills. There
has been no question before Congress of
such magnitude for thirty years. Upon
the right solution of this question the
prosperity OF this country depends. There
has practically been no discussion of
economic conditions and of the effects of
our currency system for thirty years. The
subject is one which demands the most
careful consideration and deliberate de-
bate. The testimony before the banking
and currency committee, with one single
exception, has been adverse to the Carlisle
bill. And, upon cross-examination, this
one witness admitted that there were grave
defects In the scheme, and that its adop-
tion without change would be injurious to
the finances OF the country.
Carlisle's Own Testimony.
Secretary Carlisle himself said, upon
cross-examination before the committee,
that the bill, II enacted into law, would
not relieve the treasury situation for five
years, and might not for twenty years, so
far as the redemption of the greenbacks
and treasury notes in gold was concerned,
which is the key to the whole situation.
For this reason, it appears to me that there
should be adequate discussion, and that the
time should not be fixed for vote in ad-
vance, so that members can leave their
seats. and even the city. and pay no atten-
tion to the great questions involved in the
bill until the hour fixed for a vote upon it.
There should be at least ten days for dis
cussion, after which, l think, the House
could act upon the question deliberately
1 should not think that the House would
care to vote upon such a measure under
the operations of n gag rule. The men,
bers of the committee on banking and cur
rency, 1t is true, have been asked to ap-
prove of the report in favor of the bill
prepared before the testimony of the wit
nesses had been printed: before even the
Secretary of the Treasury had revised his
statement so that We could have 1t before
us in completed form. We have been asked
to indorse report which was prepared
in advance and submitted the moment
the last witness left the stand The COM
mittee has in fact voted to favorably re-
port the bill, and has agreed to the report
in its favor when the report has not even
been read in the committee, and when the
reading OF 1t, demanded by the republican
members of the committee, was refused
This is not proper legislation upon an eco
nomic question. 1t is a method which
seems to show that politics controls the
and currency committee"
Breezy Times I'm the Committee.
1t is evident that there have been breezy
times in the committee on banking and cur
rency when the Carlisle currency bill has
been under discussion. Members CT the
committee bluntly say that the hearings
have been farcical, and that the bill and
report were prepared before even the emil
nent bankers and financiers who have been
here were invited to testify. Members of
the committee point to the fact that the re-
port was ready for presentation to the COM
mittee as soon as the last witness had con-
cluded his testimony as confirmation of
the statement that the majority of the
committee had determined what course
should be pursued before the hearings be-
gan, and that, consequently, the hearings
are not to be considered bona fide. It.
unQuestionably, Is fact that not one of
the bankers who have testified before the
committee has given the bill unqualified
Endorsement, while nearly all of them have
vigorously denounced the measure. Some
Of the most distinguished of the practical
financial men OF the committee have de-
clared that the passage Of this bill will re-
suit in such a panic has never been
witnessed in this country.
The Administration Purpose.
The administration purpose is to force
this bill through the House before the holi-
day recess. The opinion prevails that. un-
less that can be done, the measure will be
put In jeopardy. 1t may be greatly DOUBT
ed whether the administration, after such
proceedings as have been witnessed during
the last week in the committee on banking
and currency will be able to drive this cur
rency bill through the House before the re-
cess. Certainly it will be very difficult to
secure the adoption of the gag rule
which has been proposed by the majority
of the banking and currency committee
Indeed. 1t is not entirely certain that the
majority of that committee can be held to
the resolution, which it was supposed at
one time that they would approve. The
committee on rules. however, will be ask
ed by individuals of the committee to make
a rule for a vote on Friday of this week
But it is evident that there will be very
opposition to the adoption of
such a report, and it is by no means GER
tain that majority of the House will
favor 1t. The democrats of the House are
sharply divided as to the policy of the