The record-union., 1897-12-20
If Not, the Republican Party is Doome. .
Destruction.
If Gage Continues to Press His
Bill It Will Split the Now
United Party to Fragments and
Will Unite and Consolidate the
Now Incongruous Opposition
and Elect a Bryan Democrat
President.

WASHINGTON, Dec. Ex-senator
Chandler of New Hampshire has writ
ten a 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 cur
rency legislation, Congress will pass
the necessary appropriation bills, prob
ably take care of Hawaii and Cuba,
there viii be no serious party divisions
during the session, and there will be an
adjournment in May. Business Will
revive. the balance of trade will con-
tinue in our favor, and the Republican
party will, in November, 1893, elect a
majority of the House in the Fifty
fifth Congress.
"On the other hand, if Secretary Gage
continues to press upon Congress a
bill, the object of which he says is,
first, 10 commit the country more
thoroughly to the gold standard, and
the immediate results of which is to
throw doubts upon the sincerity of the
Presidents declarations in favor Of
efforts to secure bimetallism, a polit
ical turmoil will arise in Congress
which will split the now united Re-
publican party into fragments, while it
will unite and consolidate the now in
congruous opposition. 1t is not feasi-
BILE to retire the greenbacks, there is
more probability that a bill will be sent
to the President to increase their
amount. II it is not possible to Sc
cure t',r passage through either house
of a D..l making the greenbacks into
gold notes or authorizing bonds pay
able in gold, the effort to do either
thing win probably result in silver dol
lars 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 op-
tion fer the advantage of the Govern
ment, and not for the advantage of the
creditors.
With such an uproar in Congress
as these proceedings will create, with
certain Congressmen embroiled therein,
with Presidential vetoes, as threatened
by Secretary Gage, under angry dis
cussion, it will happen that all busi-
ness enterprises and funds and stocks
Will be disturbed, prices will fall, in
solvencies will increase and the Re-
pubiicans 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, a Bryan Democratic
President and Congress will be chosen
whether we are to have one of these
results-political safety-or the other
political destruction-depends entirely
upon the course to be pursued by Sec
retary Gage and those who are press
IN ard ha
standard league of New York, and the
self-constituted monetary conference.
How much Secretary Gage cares for
the Republican party is not known
Whather President Mckinley. whose
good faith toward binletallism is com
ing to a test, viii stop his Secretary,
is not known. 1t is to be hoped he
will. But no political situation has
been clearer than the present one is
to sound eyes, since the Republican
party hegan it's marvellous career for
tytwo years ago There are times
for all things. There is a time to move
and a time to keep still, and now is
the ,iLe to so keep.
1T is simply political suicide for the
Republican party in this Congress TO
affirmatively open the discussion of the
question and the bringing of yea and
nay votes on currency legislation We
ought to await the progress of interna-
tional bimetallism, the advent of busi-
ness 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 selfdestruction? President Nc
Kinley must decide. VIII he act for
his people or his plutocrats? Upon his
answer will depend the events of 1898.
W1LLIAM E. CHANDLER.
stIlcns.trn I,far 1907