Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-24
IN HEARTY ACCORD
The President and Secretary Gage
Agree on Currency Reform.
STATEMENT AUFHORITATIVELY MADE
international Agreement on Silver
international Agreement on Silver
Desired blythe Administration.
POINT OF THE MESSAGE

There may have been some disappoint-
ment in Secretary Cages speech last night
at the chamber of commerce dinner be-
cause he did not actually outline the plan
for currency reform which the President
intends to recommend to Congress. Some
critics are taking the Secretary's speech
as text for saying that the administra-
ton has no financial policy to recommend
This is no: true.
1t was well understood when. the Secre-
tary accepted the invitation of the cham
ber of commerce to reply to the toast of
Currency reform-now when," that he
would not dwell upon how the reform was
to be accomplished. nor what the admin
istration's policy to Congress would be-
He gave as his reasons the fact that Con-
gress would meet in two weeks time, and
that it would be discourteous on his part
to disclose the Presidents policy Or his
own plans to the public in advance of :he
meeting of Congress. and therefore he told
the gentlemen in charge of the dinner that
his speech would be upon the last PROPOSE
ton: that is. when the reforms should be
accomplished His speech. therefore, was
merely to stir up interest and show the
reasons for some immediate action in the
matter.
The Presidents Plan.
1t can be stated on the highest authority
that the President is going to recommend
plan for currency reform in his message,
and. further, that that part of the message
was written with the cooperation of Sec
retary Gage 1t is authoritatively stated
that Secretary Gage is perfectly satisfied
with the Presidents message in regard to
financial legislation, and that il meets his
entire views and support.
Further than this, it can be stated. on the
same high authority. that the Secretary of
the Treasury will submit to Congress IN his
annual report the plan for currency re-
form which he submitted to the cabinet at
Its meeting on Friday, October %, and
which was published in the papers Satur-
day. October 30. The Secretary intends to
submit this report TO Congress almost
ldentically as il was submitted to the cab
met. but with the exception that he will
make some further recommendations but
these VIII not materially change the plan
already announced. Furthermore both the
President and the Secretary are confident
that at this session of Congress something
will be done in the way of currency legis-
lation. and that ii will be in line of the
administrations policy.
International Agreement.
In connection with the financial policy of
the administration and the recommended
tions to be made to Congress in his annual
message. there is good reason to believe
that President Mckinley will have some
thing to say in regard to the Wolcott COM
mission. and will hold out the hope that
an international coinage agreement is still
to be looked forward to with anticipation
of success.
Those who have been advocating an in
ternational agreement still insist in the
face of the reply of Great Britain that the
work of the Wolcott commission is to go
on. 1t is believed that Mr.. Mckinley will
make some new suggestions on the SUBJ
ject, and that Congress will be told that
there is feeling of great hopefulness. 1t
is intimated that the assistance of other
European nations may be had for the re-
establishment of the coinage of silver in
dependently of what Great Britain may do
and that the United States would then go
ahead without Great Britain. At all events
il is said to be the intention of the Presi-
dent not to abandon the subject.
This statement of the case is contrary to
the expectations of those sound money ad-
vOcates who believe that such efforts in
behalf of silver are not to the interest of
the United States. and it is probable that
they will exert what influence they can to
induce the President to drop it, and that at
all events, they will denounce in Congress
any move to keep alive the international
agreement agitation.
Guarded Regarding Cuba.
1t is said that the Presidents treatment
of the Cuban question in his message is
pacific, but guarded, and preserves a tone
of frmness. Its effect is expected to be to
restrain Congress from hasty action, so as
TO give the SagaSta experiment in Cuba "A
chance to be tried, but not to commit this
government to the acceptance satisfac-
tory of the reforms inaugurated.