The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-20
Accuses Secretary Gage Of Making De-
mand for Impossible Cur
rency Legislation.
REPUBLICANS NOW UNITED
But BELIEVES POLITICAL TURMOIL.
IN CONGRESS MAY RESULT.
The AIarmist Fears the Secretary's
Policy Might Force the Redemption
of Greenbacks in Silver Dollars.

WASHINGTON, Dec. Ex-senator Chand-
Ter. of New Hampshire, has written letter
to the Washington Post, in which he says:
IF the secretary of the treasury and his
single gold standard associates will cease
their demand for impossible currency legis-
lation, Congress will pass the necessary ap-
preparation bills, probably take care of Ha-
wai and Cuba, there will not be a serious
party division during the session, and there
will be an adjournment in May. Business
will revive the treasury receipts will equal
the expenditures, the balance of trade will
continue in our favor. and the Republican
party will in November, 1898, elect major
ity of the House in the Fifty-fifth Congress.
ION the other hand, if Secretary Gage
continues to press upon Congress bill, the
object of which, he says, is, first to COM
nit the country more thoroughly to the gold
standard and the immediate effect of which
is to throw doubts upon the sincerity of the
Presidents declarations in favor of contin-
ued efforts to secure bimetallism, political
turmoil will arise in Congress, which will
split the now united Republicans into frag
ments, while it will unite and consolidate
the now incongruous opposition. 1t is not
feasible to retire the greenbacks; there is
more probability that a bill will be sent TO
the President to increase their amount. 1t
is not possible to secure the passage through
either house of a bill making the green
backs into gold notes or authorizing bonds
payable in gold. The effort to do either
thing will probably result in the passage of
q bill for the redemption of the greenbacks
in silver dollars and for the payment of all
United States bonds in gold or silver coin,
in the discretion of the President. who will
be commanded to exercise his option for the
advantage of the government and not for
the advantage Of the creditor.
with such an uproar in Congress as these
proceedings will create, with Western con-
gressmen embroiled therein, with presiden-
tial vetoes, as threatened by Secretary
Gage, under angry discussion, it will happen
that all business enterprises and funds and
stocks will be disturbed, prices will fall,
insolvencies will increase and the Repub-
licans will lose the congressional elections
in 1898 as disastrously as they did in 1890,
and beyond the hope of favorable reaction
in 1900 at which time, therefore, Bryan
Democratic President and Congress will be
chosen.
whether we are to have one Of these re-
suIts-political safety-or the other-political
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS entirely upon the
course TO be pursued by Secretary Gage and
ly the Gold-standard League of New York,
and the self-constituted national monetary
conference. How much Secretary Gage
cares for the Republican party is not known.
Whether President Mckinley, whose good
faith towards bimetallism is coming to the
test. will stop his secretary in his insane
career is not known. 1t is to be hoped he
will But no political situation has been
clearer than the present to sound eyes since
the Republican party began it's marvellous
career forty-two years ago: There are times
for all things There is time to move and
a time to keep still, and now is the time to
so keep.
''It is simply political suicide for the Re-
publican party in this Congress to affirma-
tivelv open the discussion of the money
question and to bring on yea and nay votes
upon currency legislation. We ought to
await the progress of international bimetal-
lism. the advent of business prosperity and
the filling of the treasury by the normal
workings soon to be seen of the new tariff
law. Shall we wait for these things or rush
on to self-destruction? President McKin-
ley must decide. Will he act for his people
or for his plutocrats? Upon his answer will
depend the events of 1898.
WILLIAM E. CHANDLER.