The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-09-02

backs If for no other reason than
because he is satisfied that Congress
would not authorize it. But although
he is as determined not to do this as
he is not to recommend the abolition
Of the tax on state banks, he has as
yet reached 10 determination as to
any of the other propositions sug-
gested by currency reformers.
Through Secretary Gage he is
gathering ideas on the subject which
he will consider when he comes to
write his message. He will also
doubtless read the report and recon-
mendatiOns Of the H. H. Hanna Com
mission, in spite Of its unofficial char
acter, and may even be induced to
! transmit them to Congress, as the
Hanna commissioners will probably
desire. But the Hanna Commission
is expected to make more radical rec
/ concentrations than the administers
tiOn would accept. Secretary Gage
does not despair Of some action by
Congress, at least for the improve
ment of the laws governing the
Treasury, if not for amendments of
the National Banking act, such as he
and other national bankers desire,
and his advice to the President, which
the President will probably act upon,
will be to ask Congress for no more
than it is likely to grant.
In the circular letter which Secre-
tarYGa%e has sent to different experts,
asking their suggestions for the use
of the administration in formulating
a recommendation to Congress, he
outlines not an ideal plan, but what
he thinks Congress may be induced
by the pressure of the administration
and public opinion of business men to
adopt. In this tentative scheme he
suggests Legislation for the separation
OF the fiscal and banking operations
OF the Treasury and for the impound-
ing of the greenbacks by means of a
new issue of bonds for the protection
OF the gold reserve and suggests little
that is new in the way of change in
the banking laws except that the idea
that banks should be allowed to issue
! circulatian not only as at present, to
the amount of their capital stock, but
in addition to a percentage, say one
| quarter of the other assets.
But the outlook for any legislation
on these lines in the present Congress
is not good, and the administration
apparently might as well present its
most ideal conceptions, for they
would be just as likely to receive
favorable consideration as a less COM
plete and satisfactory proposition.
President Mckinley, nOtwithstand-
ing the appeal Of the Pennsylvania
! Republican Convention will not rec
Ommend to Congress any legislation
repeating any portion of the Civil
/ Service law or regulations or extern
| siOns made by President Cleveland,
nor will Congress enact any such
! legislation. The President took his
stand deliberately in favor of extend
ing and not curtailing the scope of
the Civil Service law, and he will
take no backward step to please the
reactiOnary element in his own party,
which he regards as a hopeless minor
| ity.
The President has noted the almost
unanimous approval of all the lead
| ing newspapers of the country with
out regard to party upon his action,
| and regards it as rejecting the general
sentiment of the people as distin-
guished from the comparatively small
element of professional politicians.
He has no doubt of the popularity as
well as the wisdom of his course
HENRY MACFARLAND.