The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-07-03
A MOOTED QUESTION
VIII the President Decide to Send a
Special Message 10 Congress2
CURRENCY COMMISSION THE SUBJECT
Mckinley Fceis Under Obligation to
Take Such Action.-l'rcsstro for
nnd AEatnst-WouId Meet Inter
minabtc Opposition in Tho Scnntc
To- Be Considered fn Conference
Washington, July ?, 1897

=, T..
Ilhe question whether the President
VIII send q special message to Congress
recommending tho creation OF q Curren-
cy commission will be definitely decided
next week.
The PRESIDENT Is strongly inclined at
thls time to send Il special currency
message TO Congress, regarding himself
us IN q considerable measure pledged
TO this course. In fact this afternoon
1T was semi-oflIcully announced nt tho
White House that such a message would
De sent to Congress next week, but some
Oh the PrcsuentS most influential ad-
Visers ON financial question are opposed
10 message rs impolitic at this time
owing to hostility TO a commission on
the part OF Congress nnd the flnal deter
mination as stated will not be cached
until MI. Mckinley's return from Can
ton.
The executive committee Of the Indian
npolis Sound Money convention have
been actively advocating the commits
sion scheme ever since the advent Of the
present administration. It has also the
sympathy or the President. who com
nlttcd himself to. It IN his inaugural
President Mckinley, however. did not
care to recommend 1t to Congress willie
the tariff bill was pending, lest It might
conpllcute and delay action upon the
measure. All along the chief difficulty
which presented itself to those who fa-
Vored Il commission for the investiga-
non or the currency system has been
the opposition 1t would encounter III
Congress. @H
q blu fnr., r.,tha-creat ton Of :. a
commission could easily be passed in
the House. where factious opposition
would be unuvailing against the opera
ton or cloture order that would bring
II 10 a vote, such opposition In tho Sen
n Al mi FlNt ,1,,,.1 A
crnl OF the silver Senators have openly
avowcd their unalterablc hostility to
the creation of II commission, and Sen
ator Teller has declared that he would
remain here until December to defeat It,
This being the situation, It Is under
stood that some OF the members Of the
executive committee OF the Indianapo.
lis convention are now inclined TO be-
ileVc that 1T would perhaps be n mis-
take to press their request for the crea-
lion OF a commission by Congress. The
better and wiser thing to do some OF
them now think, would be to withdraw
their requests for q commission and to
use the provisional power vested In the
committee by the Indianapolis cunycn-
tion, and themselves select commit tee
to investigate the currency question and
present their conclusions through the
public press. If those conclusions were
such as the administration could SUBJ
scribe to they could be made the basis
or an administration measure modi-
fled as Secretary Gage. conducting an
independent investigation, might sug-
Cest.
The secretary has been at work for
some time on comprehensive currency
reform scheme, and some suggestion has
been made as to the wisdom ofHlot hav-
ing & further agitation Of the cues
ton, 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
hnanciers, business men, members OF
the House and Senate and others.
The matter was under consideration
at the Cabinet meeting to-day, but not
In IA manner to lead to Il definite con-
clusion OF policy. and the matter went
over until the Presidents return to the
city next week, when it is probable that
Mr.. H. II. Hanna, who Is chairman OF
the executive committee OF the In
dianapolis convention. and perhaps
other members OF the committee. will
come to Washington to discuss the sit
uation with the President and Mr.
Gage.
Upon the result Of the conference
probably vii! depend President McKin-
leys action as to a special message to
Congress.