The Forrest City times., 1897-04-02
BEGINNING BADLY.
The Kew Administra eion Ignoring
the Currency Question.

The Kew Administration Irnorsuw
the Currency Question.
1t is to be notso that the proposition
TO coDfine the extra session of congress
wholly to consideration of the proposed
tariff bill is not received with the sa tis-
faction the republican leaders at Wash
ington seem to think it deserves. The
New York chamber of commerce has
thought it necessary to send an ur-
gent memorial to President Mckinley,
requesting him to impress upon the
minds of the lawmakers i'm extraorli-
nary session assembled, that there is
pressing need for promp. and decisive
action on the currency question, and
II is quite likely that other bodies of
this character, as well as vast hosts
of individual citizens, are of the same
mind regarding the really serions mat
ter demanding congressional attention
just now. The interests that are ask
ing for protective legislation can well
efford to wait; the interests that hope
for relief through currency reform are
not so favorably situated.
1t is simple nonsense to assert that
early and exclusive consideration of
the tariff question is due to the people
because of the verdict of last Novem-
ber. No man of intelligence and fair
ness can honestly assert that the tariff
reached the dignity of an issue in last
years campaign. 1t is true, of course,
that the platforms of the parties out
lined the parties different policies on
that question, but the electoral conten-
tion was based wholly on the currency
question, for information on which the
public clamored, and upon which, both
in the press and upon the stump, the
contest was fought. The voice of the
people clearly was for currency re-
form, and as President Mckinley said
in his inaugural address. the voice of
the people is "a power vastly more po-
tential than the expression of any po-
litical platform"
Speaking in respect to this matter,
the Washington Times says: "The
president might assume that the pro-
tective tariff plank in the republican
platform was the vital point in his
candidacy and election, and therefore
justified q strictly tariff session.; but
nobody would be convinced by such
assumption. 1t is too notorious that
the fight was made and the victory ac-
quired in some way on the sole issue
of the currency. A currency extra
session then would have been the log
ical thing, but we shall be satisfied to
see one open to all the questions that
agitate and embarrass the nation, and
which ought to be discussed and set
tied, if that be possible"
This is the proper course to pursue.
If the republican leaders think that
the tariff ought to be changed, well
and good, but the currency should also
have every attention; the earliest at
tention, in fact, because it was on the
currency issue the verdict of 1896 was
rendered. If prosperity shall fail to
materialize, the republican party can,
with better grace, hold itself excus-
able for such failure, If it shall pro-
ceed to act in accordance with the un-
mistakabIe mandate of the country.
To postpone consideration of question
whose settlement was most emphat-
ically demanded by the people is to go
wrong at the very Bingham
ton IN. W Leader.