The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-02
No Parallel to Speaker
Reeds Achievements.
There is No Doubt That He is
Dictator of the House.
President Working on New Bank
ing and Currency Measure.

4
closing days of the session dfc at hard,
and to the last Speaker Reed has had his
way about the enonappointmento Of commit
tees in the house while there was danger
that tho committees would make trouble.
! Not in all the history Of parliamentary
bodies at this capital do we find IA parallel
| 10 Mr.. Reeds audacious achievement.
| There are OF course varying opinions as 10
tho right and wrong OF tho course which
| he has pursued. Some argue that he was
| not justified i'm going the length he did in
| making himself absolute master Of the
| house. Others find defense for him in the
need of having policy that would lead Co
| results on the tariff without plunging the
country into "a maelstrom of general legis-
lation. Leaving this phase of the matter
! out Of the question, the speakers perform
ance is a notable one jim the annals of per-
| sonal pluck and force.
Approved by Mckinley.
Ii is no secret that what he has done the
| speaker did with the full knowledge and
approval of President Mckinley. At a
| conference held at tho White House shortly
| after the assembling of congress last March
| IL was agreed between the president and
| the speaker of the house that the commit
tees should not be appointed unless there
was q change in the situation making such
| action necessary. In the face Of the most
| determined opposition, the oft repeated at
tacks of the Democratic and Populist lead
! ers and the disapproyal of IA large number
| of men in his own party Speaker Reed has
| held to his course without the slightest de-
| Walton. For one man thus TO hold up the
| great house of representatives, constitut'
1 4 thWafsn
| during almost an entire session of congress,
| Is certainly a performance which none but
Reed would dare essay.
| Mr.. Reeds determination Co name the
committees Of tho house before adjourn.
mont was reached long ago. lt has been
| understood for several months that in the
closing hours the organization Of the
house would be announced. OF course IL
| Is now too late for these committees to en-
ter upon any consideration of Legislative
| questions. The time for that has passed.
But tho committees will be all ready when
| congress meets again I'm December and
among the important measures then to
come before congress is the administration
currency bill.
Immediately after the election last fall
| Mr.. Mckinley decided that be would call
a special session of congress to meet the
middle of March. Tho object of IL was to
push through a new tariff bill without de
lay. Readers of these dispatches will re
member how clearly the presidents plans
were outlined by me even before they Were
known in Washington except to- very
few who had been taken into the conf
dence of tho president elect. Tho pro
gramme which it was my fortune to be
| able To Announce to the country has been
carried out. During the winter the pres
| ident asked Chairman Etngley and his
ways and means committee to prepare the
| now tariff so that II might be ready foi
| the special session.
| The Currency Question.
| Now the president is at work upon an
other scheme of legislation, which he
hopes TO push through In a similar man
| ner. During the summer Secretary of the
| Treasury Gage, assisted by Comptroller
| Eckels, Mint Director Preston and Other
| experts, is To prepare new banking and
| currency measure which Is to be intro.
| duced in congress next December. IL will
| really be an administration bill. The
president and his cabinet will father II
| and givo their influence To its passage.
Before introducing 10 an effort will be
made 10 secure the cordial cooperation OF
Speaker Reed, the banking and currency
committee of tho house and the leading
Republicans Of tho senate
No doubt exists that the new admins
tration currency bill can be pushed
through the house with great rapidity.
The speakers will is law there. Besides
he is pretty surc TO have in that, as he has
had In his policy this last winter, the cor
dial support of majority of tho men on
his own side of tho hail. But there will
be trouble In the senate. The Democrats
and Republican silycritos do not propose
TO permit Mr. Gago's bill To retire the
Preenbacks, protect the gold reserve and
arrange new banking system TO go &c
the statute books without tremendous
fight.
They will probably be able TO block the
way for many weary months. In the sen.
ate IL is oasy 10 make long speeches with
ont anything moro than suspicion anont
desire 60 delay rather than TO convince dt.
taching TO tho spcechmakors. l predict
that before President Mckinley succeeds
with his policy Of revising tho currency
and banking laws 10 will bo necessary Go
change the rules of the senate.
The Democratic Policy.
This brings mo 20 very important point
In our current history. There has been
much surprise because the Democrats of
the senate apparently Joined hands with
their Republican frio nds In expcditing the
passage Of the tariff bill. The Democrats
have laid no obstacles I'm the way of the
tariff. They have generously refrained
from spccchmnhinR. They have even
helped the Republicans dispose Of para
graph after paragraph. What does IL meant
tbs is qHcstion which have often heard
asked
The Democratic leaders have had the
best sort cf mn explanation Of thoir con
duct. "Tho Republican party Is response
bic for lCgislaiion,' they sny. "and II Is
our duty and pleasure to permit them To
take that responsibility and go ahead. We
do not believe the tariff will bring prosper
ity. and 81 10 docs not the Republicans will
have 90 account To the people for their
broken promises
But back Of oil this was n knowledge
that n the Democrats seriously delayed
the tariff 70 was the intention of tho Re
luhliDne go take the bit In their teeth and