The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-11
Letter-Writing Campaign of Sound
Money Executive Committee Not
What Administration Expected.
MERIT SYSTEM NOT In PERIL
LITTLE DANGER THAT THE CIVIL
SERVICE LAW WILL BE KILLED.
Judge PaxsOn Not Likely to Attain the
Interstate-COmme Commission
Chairmanship without Fight.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10.-Considerable
disappointment is expressed in administra-
ton circles to-day over the apparently au-
thorized statement from Indianapolis that
the sound .oney executive committee had
decided to organize a letter-writing cam
paign on Congress, instead Of reconvening
the convention to indorse the report of the
monetary commission and give it the pres
tige of fresh backing from a great body of
representatives of the commercial, financial
and industrial interests. The plan of the
executive committee to send circulars to in
fiuential sound money men of the country
asking them to lombard their members of
Congress with letters urging action, is
looked on as good as far as it goes, but as
likely to fall short of producing the desired
results. congressman are accustomed to
this kind of prodding, and anything in the
nature Of an organized literary campaign of
the kind mapped out by the sound money
executive committee loses much of its force.
Administration officials had been advised
that it was the intention of the executive
committee to reconvene the sound money
convention and to receive from that source
authorization to continue the work and lay
siege to Congress by camping in Washing
ton and bringing to bear influences which
can only be directed on the ground.
In the meantime Secretary Gage will en-
deavor to secure currency reforms along the
lines marked out in his annual report. 1t
was stated in the House of Representatives
to-day that the secretary had made his pur.
pose known not to embody his views in
one comprehensive bill, but to cover special
subjects in number of special bills, some
of which will go before the House commit
tee on banking and currency and others be-
fore the committee on ways and means.
The banking and currency committee had
formally invited the secretary to present
bill covering all the phases of financial re-
forms suggested in his recent recommends
ton to Congress, and the desire of members
of the committee was to treat the subject
as an entirety. For that reason there was
considerable comment when it was stated
that Mr.. Gage would divide the subject into
several bills, some Of which will go before
the ways and means committee. 1t was TINS
last feature which occasioned the iveliest
comment, owing to the sharp contest be-
tween the ways and means committee and
the banking and currency committee, re-
spectively, to control legislation designed to
bring about currency reform. This feeling
found expression on the floor of the House
the second day of the session, and after
SplIIISu eACuduS6 DeLWeen MI. OlHgley ana
Mr.. Walker, the charmen of the two COM
mittees, the matter was compromised. The
Walker committee felt that it had carried
the day, and at it's initial meeting on
Wednesday the formal invitation was ex-
tended to Secretary Gage to present a bill
based on his recommendations to Congress.
Mr.. Hill, Of Connecticut, was designated by
Chairman Walker to submit the request to
the secretary. AS q result of this interview
it became generally understood about the
House that the secretary would not comply
with the request for general bill of finan-
cial reform, but would draft several dis
tinct bills. However, when Secretary Gage
was informed of the reports in circulation
about the House of Representatives, this
afternoon, he said that he had not yet
made up his mind whether to submit his
propositions in one, two or three bills. His
plan might be better understood if divided,
but he had not yet decided about the mat
ter, and was still at work on the proposed
legislation.
Mr.. Hill said to-day that Secretary Gage
had received the invitation OF the commit
tee on banking and currency with much
courtesy, and had said he would appear
before the committee at an early day. While
Mr.. Gage did not outline what he would DO
as to framing one or more bills, yet the
impression Mr.. Hill received was that the
secretary had under consideration several
bills covering the several phases of the
financial subject If the secretary concluded
to adopt this plan it is said that the bills
relating to bonds, refunding the public debt
and placing a tax on circulation would go
to the ways and means committee, while
bills for the establishment of small banks
in rural communities, allowing circulation
up to the par value of bonds deposited, and
other phases directly connected with the
banking business would go to the commit
tee on banking and currency.