The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-05-20
HE COMMENTS UPON THE mac
TON OF CoNGEss, BUT Ex-
PRESSES CONFIDENCE IN M'K1N.
LEY AND HIS cABINET-HE COM
PLAINS OF THE Do-NoTHING,
POLICY OF CONGRESS AND SAYS
THE MONEY QUESTION DEMANDS
ATTENTION AT ONCE.

day night:
II am not apol ogizing for that speech,
nor do propose to defend it. 1t stands
Tor itself, and meant every word of it.
L did not expect that any great import.
ance would be attached TO 1T by people
generally. am rather surprised thai it
should be Sc; but since it has attracted
some attention, may say that am glad
of it. for the result may do good. 1t must
not be supposed, however, that l am n
pcssimist. could not afford to he one.
even II my inclinations rtn that way.
have too much ut stake. do not believe.
though, that the way to correct IN evil is
to gloss it over. I have always taught
myself to look every subject or emergency
straight in the face, and that is why I
spoke rs l did last Friady night. 1t will
do the country NO good to sing itself to
sleep or to try to believe that facts are
different from what they are'
Your speech was not made at Il polit-
ical meeting?''
NO" responded Mr.. Wanamnker. "I
spoke to about Il hundred hard headed
business men of this State, and the
speech was largely on State affairs. 1t
was nothing else than fair, frank talk.
without ccncealments of any kind felt
we could be useful TO each other by count
ing the pulse of business and making Il
truthful diagnosis Of it's lOng-nursed sick
ness think | made between sixty and
seventy speeches during the last cam
paign. some of them in silver districts i'm
this State, where pleaded with the peo-
pie to vote against Organism, and argued
that not only the tariff, but the currency
question would be taken up and pushed
vigorously-that the filling of offices
would not be the first or only business of
the administration at it's beginning.
80 much was said by political speak
ers generally that the popular expecta-
ton was aroused that the old McKinley
tariff law would in some form be restored
within sixty days after inauguration and
the Industries of the country started up.
Some OF the men who spoke with me last
fall were in the audience last Friday
night, and nothing else than n candid
analysis of facts, showing that our work
was not yet done, would have answered
the purposes of the League in continued
service.
1T is boosted in Pennsylvania that out
OF the thirty two congressman thirty. one
are pledged to act as one man with the
boss, part of whose field of lnbors is
where the whole machinery of the Gov
eminent stops while sugar speculations
go on"
The people are not all FOOLS" contin-
ned Mr. Wanamaker. cit is but natural
that they should cry out against the
power that can relieve them, when they
see the Dingley bill, framed four months
ago. hanging in nidair rs If the whole
nation were taking summer holiday, in
stead of going through slow fever, with
every State kind of hospital of fear and
trembling The people do not easily for
get. 1t Will not be enough when the next
investigation of Senatorial speculations is
made to eyade or to bluff with nonchal.
ant: Yes, bought those stocks; what of
it? You certainly do not forget that n
long suffering people in New York city
heard, What are you going TO do about
IT,! until they rose in their strength and
said: we will show you,' and they did
confess that five years of listening to
u steady stream of people passing through
my Office, with their woes, sorrow and
starvation, has worn upon me. I am
alarmed by the ircrease in the numbers
OF this procession the last four or five
months. So many thousands have used
up their hard-earned savings. and my
soul cries out when see the tariff bill
practically aground in the Senate and no
sign of any intention to ttke up the cur
rency question, which 10 the minds of
many people is the largest half of the
problems that have come down to us from
the last administration.
While believe that the good times
anticipated will come out of the employ
ment of the people, it must not be for.
gotten that there are thousands of bust
ness men in this country who believe tina t
there will be no permanently settled pros.
perity until definite deliverances are had
from Congress upon monetary questions.
III there Is to be any enlarged use of sill.
yer. why not promptly determine upon it.
II 1T is the intention that nothing shall
be done on the silver question, and we
are to stand exactly where we are. it were
far better to say SD boldly and at once AMI
not drift or shilly-shally. We want
something or nothing and that very quick
ly, II che country is to start forward on
It's promised career OF prosperity There
Is work for the House to do besides meet
ing only to adjourn. 1 do not believe the
country will indorse a do-nothing policy
while waiting on the Senate.
Il do not Know what is thought in
Washington on these matters, but what
| have been saying is the kind of talk a
merchant hears" continued Mr.. Wanna
maker. sit is possible that Cabinet Oil.
GERS and Congressman who are not facing
hundreds and thousands of unemployed
people every week ray not have all the
facts of the situation before them. What
the people want is the promised action,
with as little delay as possible The drain
and strain is too great to be borne any
Longer than is imperatively necessary.
II have known President Mckinley