The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1895-01-24
WASHINGTON LETTER.
SENATOR BRICE ON THE FL
NANCIAL SITUATION.
His Practical Business Sense.
The Safest Guile for the Party
and the Country.

ton appears 10 De tnat moe men are
turning to Senator Brice for advice
than to any other man either in the
enate or House. 1t seems that the
Democrats have reached a point where
they want practical ran of business
to talk to them and tell them what
should be done. II was in this same
kind of an emergency that the Demo-
Gratis OF the Senate turned to Senator
Brice in the summer when all hope of
tariff Legislation seemed gone. As he
was The practical man of affairs then
who could give advice and point the
way out of the difficulty. So now,
when the party is in the worst slough
of despond it has ever encountered
since the House sent the half formed
Wilson Bill to the Senate, tie Demo-
Gratis are turning to man of practical
affairs in the hope that be may outline
a plain proposition of finance, which
will restore confidence in the country,
relieve the Treasury of a strain it seems
unable to bear, and to make it possible
for the Democratic party to surrender
absolute power with credit.
Senator Brice is not a man to give
attention to details of legislation and
he may not now undertake to sketch a
plan of salvation for those who have
been Aoundering in the mud on the
House side, but at the same time it is
to him and not to other men that the
administration and its friends turn for
that GU dance they have been unable
to find among chosen friends Senator
Brice was first called to the White
House to talk with the President
While the papers were ringing with
the announcement that Hill had been
chosen to lead the Cleveland forces to
financial victory in the Senate, be-
cause the President had invited him
to State dinner, the President had
sent for Senator Brice to talk finance,
and had chosen him because he want
1
man whose judgement Was formed
by contact with the business interests
of the country, and who understood the
problems before the Country. Mr.
Cleveland was seeking informatio;.
and he got it. He probably got more
pra actical information of the affairs
that confront the country in the two
hours he was closeted with the Ohio
Senator than in all the conferences he
has held with the men who have been
trying t.. pass the Carlisle Bill.
While there had been talk OF finan-
cial legislation in the Senate before
the reverse in the House it had not as
sumed definite action in the way of
really doing something until after the
conference of Senator Brice with the
President. There were then men who
thought that it was possible that some
thing might be done if the Pre- ident
was TO throw his influence in the prac-
teal channels suggested 10 him.
Whether or not Senator Brice will
undertake to draw a bill in 2ccord
ance with what he believes, is not yet
known. 1t is probable that he will
not do SO A bill may be drawn by
some member of the Finance Com
mittee at his suggestion which vii
meet the difficulties the country is
labor1ng under. This is more in tn
line of the way Senator Brice works
Perhaps many of the details may no
be his, but if its general features meet
bis approval he may devote himself to
securing such legislation. But it is
doubtful if he will make any such eff
fort unless there is fair prospect Of
success.
He is not man to butt against a
stone wall, or to try and force through
at the short session of Congress a
measure which would not command a
good working support. 1t is this
ground that the Ohio Senator has
been survey ing with a view to ascer-
tanning what first can be done. Then
if success is probable he then may out
line his plan.
There is no doubt but that any plan
with which be may be connected will
from the first receive the support of
large number of Senators who now
come to regard him as one of the big
men not only of the Senate but the
country. So far he has not talked of
any plan. He has not considered it
necessary as long as a majority seem
ed determined to accept nothing.
La ely it has been observed that ex-
tremists, differing with Senator Brice
widely on financial questions, have ex-
pressed a willingness to sacrifice a
great deal of their belief IN order to
reach some common ground.
1t is understood that the so-called
common ground" is not far distant
from that occupied by the Ohio Sen
ator, who believes that business prin-
ciples and common Sense should gov
ern all legislation. If the pressure on
the Treasury becomes SO great that
remedial lapislatiOn becomes impera |