The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-04-02
Secretary Fosters Contemplated
Bond Issue.

upon the condition of the times
during which the Mckinley bill
was in force, and particularly COM
mented upon the fact that Sec
rotary of the Treasury Charles
Foster, at the end of Harrison's admin
tration, gave orders to have plates pre-
pared for an issue of bonds to meet OBJ
legations, which the ordinary receipts
of the government, even at the excess
sive rates of duty then imposed, failed
to satisfy. This was done to support
theories and arguments brought out by
the silver advocates, and now we have
substantial proof that such a plan was
in serious contemplation by the Repub
lican administration, but they shifted
the responsibility upon The incoming
President and thus escaped the direct
consequence. In the House of Repre-
sentatives few days since, Mr.. Gaines
Democrat, of TennesSee), announced
that to clear up the dispute as to
whether Secretary of the Treasury
Charles Foster hal prepared to issue
bonds ut the close of the Harrison adj
ministration, he had secured from Sec
rotary Gage IA certified copy of the let
ter dated February goth, 1898, in which
Secretary Foster had ordered the Blu
reau of Printing and Engraving to pre-
pare plates for the bonds. The original
of this letter is now in the hand, of the
director of the bureau of engraving
and printing, where Mr.. Gaines said
he saw and read it, The body of the
letter which Mr. Gaines read is rs fol-
lows:
"You are hereby authorized and di-
( rected To prepare designs for the 3 per
I cent. bonds provided in Il Senate
| amendment TO the sundry civil bill
now pending. The denomination which
should first receive attention are the
| zoos and l,000s of the coupon bonds and
zoos, l.000s and l0,000s of the registered
bonds. The authority is given in adj
vance of the enactment, in view of the
/ pressing contingencies, and you are di-
rected TO hasten in every possible man.
I ner. | inclose memorandum for your
/ guidance in preparing the script for the
/ body of the bond
Thus we see that the Mckinley bill
failed to produce sufficient revenue for
necessary expenses and and that artifi-
cial means Were to have been employed
by the party which foisted this iniqui-
( tous measure upon the people, to pro-
cure funds to run the government.
That was four years ago, and the voters
of the United States having seen fit to
for that period of industrial depression
| and stagnation, strikes, labor dissen-
sions and unhappiness, at the head of
national affairs can now contemplate
the present Dingley bill and the evil
consequences that must result upon its
passage. 1t is, as we have said, pro-
tective measure of the first degree, and
the way it was considered and
rushed through the House. without
/ y
consideration, justifies the belief that
! its purpose is not elevating or for the
good of the whole people. Glasses and
! combinations come in for especial ben
etits under its specific provisions;
| trust magnates and spectators find in
/ its clauses visions of millions wrought
out of the consumers of this country,
/ but nowhere does it provide for the
! farmer or labOring man, except it be
prospects of higher wages for the latter.
( During the Mckinley regime the work
ingman took it out in prospects, for
never Were wages lower or work more
difficult to get. That was the season
of the great Homestead riots, brought
about by Carnegie, the ideal projections
lists. All over the country it was the
same way, and now they dare to force
/ the same issue upon us Mark Hanna
is in the Senate and Mckinley in the
I Presidential chair; the funds of the
campaign We're, rs all know, contrib
uted by fostered 'infant industries, -
trusts, combinations and wealthy cap
/ italists. Now they all come in for a dis
/ tributioD of the spoils of victory. The
American Hydra-headed Trust dragon
will again hold forth, until the Demo-
cratic st. George goes out again to give
battle to the death. The newspapers
that helped elect Mckinley are down
upon his tariff and speak out most We
hemently. Business men are opposed
to it on the ordinary ground of 'com-
mon sense" The Republicans have
the power and mean to use it as they
see fit. The worst feature of the case
is that Democrats helped elect the Re
publican ticket last fall and made all