The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-12-29
A NIMBLE SHIFT

The Republican house ia getting
tangled up in its inconsistencies. Al
is always the case with people who en-
deavor to straddle question ant
avoid the frank consideration of prin
ciples, the Republican congressman
will not only fail to please anybody
but they will be eninently successful
in displeasing nearly everybody but
themselves.
The bond bill introduced by th(
ways and means committee, besides Y
minding, in the discussion whicht
has aroused among Republicans, me
dominant party Of the thorns mat
come with the rose of power, hsi de-
veloped thu hollowness of the argu-
ments made to justify the enc ment
of the tariff bill recently passe( by the
house.
Mr.. Dingley, in presentingfhe tarlh
bill few days since, sai9that with
adequate revenues the seer fary OF the
treasury would not be obliged to pay
out again United States And treasury
notes that had been redeemed. The
tariff bill which he syomitted to the
house he claimed woul& if enacted into
law, obviate the necessity of re-issuing
these notes. or coufse the bill would
do nothing of the kind, for reasons that
have been heretofore explained. and
which in brief are, that the law requires
the re-issuing of the notes, and that,
even though the revenues be Increased,
there would be no increase OF gold IN
the treasury, because customs duties
are paid chiefly in these very notes and
silver. But waving these latter con-
siderations for the moment, 1t Is ap-
parent that representative Dingley, as
the spokesman of his side of the house,
stood for the retention of the green
backs and treasury notes in the
treasury, course which, if persisted
in, would amount to virtual retire
ment of the paper. There is no other
reasonable Interpretation of his argu-
ment than that he intended to destroy
the facilities by which the gold reserve
is depleted by keeping those facilities
in the treasury as they are received.
This argument was good enough
Morgan to be used in behalf of reve-
nue. measure which in itself contained
no provision for retiring notes, and
which would not, therefore, arouse the
antagonism on that score of those
members who are opposed to retire.
ment.
The Republican majority having &C.
complished it's purpose and passed a
tariff bill along the lines Of modified
McKinleyism, Mr.. Dingley, again repre-
senting the ways and means commit
tee, the next day in presenting the
bond bill to the house with grace and
agility shifts the position and rests his
nimble feet on another roost. He ex-
planned that the bond bill as amended
by the committee specifically stated
that nothing in "the act should be con-
strued to repeal or modify the act OF
1873 for the reissue of redeemed green
backs" In reply to an inquiry as to
what would become of the greenbacks
redeemed by the sale of the bonds pro-
vided for by this act, he replied: "They
will be used in discharging our interest
bearing obligations" 1t is thus ap'
parent that in less than twenty-four
hours the adaptable and adjustable
Mr.. Dingley, as the leader OF his party
in the popular branch of congress,
had concluded that it was really not
necessary-as he thought the day be-
fore-to retain the notes in the treas
ury. They could at least be reissued
in discharge of the misunderstanding
obligations of the government. With
the timidity characteristics Of his
school of reasoners, Mr.. Dingley fails
to follow the notes after they have
been reissued in the discharge of these
Understanding obligations, and ascer
tain whether or not they may be again
used TO coax the yellow metal from
the treasury vaults. He and his col
leagues know they can and will be sc
used.