The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-08-04
Republicans Have Troubles.
The Finance question Giving
the Republicans No Erd
of Worry.

VI worry.
Washington, August 2. 1897
The republicans have other troubles
than those which will be made by the
new tariff ahead of them They are
going to have no end of worry over
finance in the near future. 1t is an
open secret that there ie d serious
difference of opinion in the Cabinet
on the advisability of committing the
administration and the party to the
retirement of the 'greenbacks
and Treasury notes Sec. Gage,
as the persona! representa-
tive ofthe bankers and ultra
gold men, will make hard fight to
commit the administration and party
to the retirement Of those notes, al
though he knows as well as anybody
that no such legislation can be put
through during the life of the present
Congress, because of the silver ma
jority in the Senate. Proof that Mr.
Mckinley is afraid of this question
may be found in the careful manner
in which he avoided committing him
self in his special message to Con-
grees asking authority to appoint a
currency commission. Mr. McKln-
ley has been everything on the money
question. He voted for the free
coinage Of silver in 1877. and as late
as the Fifty first Congress, he voted
and spoke for the Window silver bill
and the Sherman substitute therefor
He didn't want the gold standard
platform of last years republican
convention. 1t is doubtful if he
knows what hc wants now He pre-
fers to tim and to wait, but Sec.
Gage intends. unless be is prevented.
10 submit 10 Congress in his annual
report the Outlines Of bill that would
pe,petaate the single gold standard
not because he thinks it will pass,
but because he wishes to commit the
administration aud the republican
party.
Members of the administration
still in Washington, area somewhat
worried over the results of the new
tariff as far as they have become ap
parent. They did not like the shut
ting down of those big New England
cotton mills. and some of them went
as far as to say that the mill owners
should have been willing to keep on
running their mills, even if they lost
money, to help along the republican
party They like even less the story of
increased pricesfo almost everything
but labor that comes from every di
rection Speaking Of this phase of
the matter prominent Philadelphia
business man, now in Washington.
said 81 hear that general rise in
prices is TO take place, and that peo
pie may prepare to pay more for their
dry goods, clothing. boots and shoes,
and all articles OF household neces-
si;y If this is going to be so. |
predict tremendous discomfort and
dissatisfaction among the people In
flush times there would be no com
plant, but when commodities rise in
value and the volume of money is
not increased, the common people
are bound to suffer, especially when.
as now, there is no chance of an ad
vance in wages The upshot of the
matter will be revolt against the
political patty that passed the law
which made dsarer all things the
consumer is bound to buy, without
doing anything to increase the abil-
ity of the consumer to purchase
the necessaries Of life If the repub
lican party hasn't q very rough row
to hoe, then | am utterly without
ability as prophet.
Some OF the civil service cranks
are doing so much shouting over Nr
Mckinley's extension Of the civil
service law to a few Of the small
Custom House employees, that they
have overlooked his exemption from
those rules Of numerous important
places in tie Customs and Internal
Revenue servic, His amendments
to the rules, prohibiting the dis
charge of government employees, ex-
cept for cause and only upon written