The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-03
COMMISSION ON CURRENCY.
NIxINLEY HASN'T DECIDED YET TO
APPOINT ONE.

Matter Likely to BE Settled ON His
Return to Washington From Cam
ton Next Week-Certainty of Oppo-
sltion in the Senate One of the
Causes for HesitRtiOn-Secreta of
the Treasury Gage May BE Left 10
Frame Comprehensive Reform
Measure After Consultation with
Leading business Men.
Washington, July 2-The question
whether the President will send a spec
ial message to congress recommending the
creation of a currency commission will be
definitely decided next week. The Pres
ident is strongly inclined at this time to
send a special currency message to con-
gress, regarding himself as in a consider
able measure pledged to this course. In
fact it was semi officially announced at the
white house this afternoon that such a
message would be sent to congress next
week. but some of the Presidents most in
huent1al advisers on financial questions are
opposed to a message as impolitic at this
time owing to hostility to a commission on
the part of congress, and the final deter
mination, as stated, will not be reached
until Mr.. McKinley's return from Canton.
The executive committee of the Indian
apolis sound money convention have been
actively advocating the committees 8
scheme ever since the advent of the pres
ent administration. 1t had also the SYM
pathy of the President, who committed
himself to it in his inaugural. President
ToIy yfr1la bou
omrhend it to congress while the tariff bill
was pending, lest it might complicate and
delay action upon that measure.
All along the chief difficulty which pre-
sented itself to those who favored a COM
mission for the investigation of the cur.
rency system has been the opposition it
would encounter in congress. While bill
| for the creation of a commission could
easily be passed in the House. where fac
tious opposition would be unavailing
against the operation of a cloture order
that would bring 1t to a vote, such oppo-
| sition in the Senate might be almost in
| terminable. Several of the silver senator's
| have openly avowed their unalterable hos.
| tility to the crea ton of a commission. and
| Senator Teller of Colorado has declared
| that he would remain here until December
to defeat it.
This being the situation, it is UNDER
| stood that some members of the execu-
tive committee of the Indianapolis CON
/ vention are now inclined to believe that
\ 1t would perhaps be a mistake to press
/ their request for the creation of a com
mission by congress. The better and wiser
| thing to do, some of them now think,
would be to withdraw their request for
commission and to use the provisional
! power vested in the committee by the In
dianapolis convention and themselves Sc
| lect a committee to investigate the cur
rency question and present their conclu-
/ sions through the public press. If those
| conclusions were such as the adrninistra-
/ tion could subscribe to they would be
| made the basis of an admins tration meas
| ure, modified as Secretary Gage, conduct
| ing an independent investigation, might
| suggest
| The secretary has been at work for
| some time on a comprehensive currency
reform scheme and some suggestion has
| been made as to the wisdom of not having
further agitation of the question but of
permitting Mr.. Gage. who has the full
| confidence of business men generally TO
| frame a measure after such consultation
as he may desire with financiers, business
men, members of the House and Senate
| and others.
The matter was under discussion at the
/ caplhet meeting to-day, but not IN man
| ner 10 lead to a definite conclusion Of
| policy, and the matter went over until
| the President returns to the city next
| week, when 1t is possible that II. II. Han
ma, chairman of the executive committee
OF the indianapolis convention. and per-
| haps other members of the committee. Will
come TO Washington to discuss the situa-
ton with the President and Mr.. Gage
| Upon the result Of the conference will
| probably depend Mr.. McKinley's action
/ as to a special message to congress.
i s-e-s