The Portland daily press., 1894-11-13
CURRENCY REFORM.

President Cleveland is credited with
the intention of launching scheme of
currency reform at the next session of
| Congress. There can be no question
that our currency badly needs reform
| ing, and. considering the attitude the
| President has maintained on the subject,
there can be but little doubt that any
scheme he may recommend will merit
serious consideration. But the chances
of getting any plan that the President
will endorse though the present
Democratic House are badly worth talk
ing about. The great majority of the
Democratic memb ers of the present
House are unsound on currency matters.
Their attitude on the subject through
out the first session OF this Congress
was Numerically opposite from that OF
the President. They were permeated
with free silverism, and had not the
President interposed his veto the seignor-
age coinage bill would have become a
| law. Any scheme of currency reform
that would have met the Presidents
views would have been made very short
work of by Democrats at the first session
of Congress. That IS obvious to every
body who is familiar with its record.
But it may be argued that the Demo-
Gratis, chastened by defeat, may be more
ready to listen to the President at the
coming session, and that the overthrow
of so many Of the silver champions may
Lead them to revivse their views in regard
to the currency. On the contrary we
think the fact will prove to be quite the
opposite. Instead of paying more atten-
ton to the President at the coming ses-
sion the Democrats will pay less. The
relations between the President and mis-
party which were strained before cleo
ton are very much more strained now.
There is a disposition to saddle large
part Of the responsibility for the defeat
upon his shoulders, and it is not confined
to the professional haters of the. Presi-
dent, like the New York Sun, but
| many of the organs and leaders who have
heretofore stood by him, are now en-
gagged in propagating the idea. His re-
fusal to say word or write letter dur
ing the campaign, laid the foundation
for charge of treachery, and it is being
built upon now with great industry. A
large part of the Democratic members
will return to Washington in Decent Der
i'm bued with the feeling that the Presi-
dent is responsible partly for their sde-
feat, and their attitude toward him,
never cordial, is likely to be absolutely
bitter. 1t is impossible that men feeling
that way will listen with good grace to
any suggestions from the President The
mere fact that plan is recommended by
him will rouse their hostility. Instead
of finding the House in n more yielding
mood, the President will find it in a
revengeful state Of mind and one of tne
WAYS it will make it manifest will be to
oppose every scheme that is dear to the
heart of the executive. Furthermore
were Congress ever SO we'll disposed it
is highly Improbable that it could adopt
scheme of currency leform at the COM
ing session. The session covers only
three months, and out of that will come
the Christmas recess, SO that really
there will be but about two months for
actual work. For a proper consideration
of the appropriation bills large part of
this time will be needed. The passage
of any radical currency legislation at the
coming session is out of the question.