The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-11-20
THE ISSUE VERY MUCH ALIVE

| Cfi1ooGo Records washington Special.
Senator Garter has an Interview In the
| Post this morning on the financial question,
| In which he predicts mat unless interna-
tionai bimetallism becomes reality at the
approaching eessinn Of congress there Will
be an absolute alignment at tho next cleo
ton between the gold and silver men Of the
country, and the next house Of repressri-
tatives will be elected on that issue alone.
And for that test" be says, the gold
standard men will not be well prepared
While Senator Carter is not entirely
hopeless, he does not see much prospect Of
International bimetallism. nor does he think
congress will do anything on the financial
question. There will be protracted de-
bate on the Hawaiian annexation and the
Cuban situation win come up Incidentally
he says. 1--WE will discuss the financial
system at great length, and then we will
probably let the facts and arguments thai
are developed be considered by the press
and the people. The Nation thinks slowly.
We Will have to allow a period for the
whole subject to be thoroughly digested.
ana then, perhaps, we can come back pre-
pared to enact complete system l be-
lieve that by this careful and conservative
method Of approaching this tremendously
important subject we can avoid the violent
views OF either side and evolve something
that Will be neither gold monometailism
nor silver monometallism"
Mr.. Carter Is very positive that nothing
VIII be done In the way OF currency reform
which contemplates the retirement of the
gfetnbacks or the issue OF bonds II real
lze, he says, that the confidence of the
country In the present banking laws have
Deen shaken TO some extent and that the
lack OF perfect confidence Is an impede
ment to business. but it can be stated en-
phatically that no alleged reform can sue
ceeu IN congress which takes 1t for granted
that the efforts to secure international hi
metailism have come to a conclusion which
proposes to contract the currency or pIo-
vides for the issue Of bonds"
Nearly everybody In congress agrees with
Mr.. Carter on most OF his propositions. hut
from different points CT view. It is becon-
ing more and more apparent every day to
eoiu as well as silver advocates that the
next elections will be fought on the finan-
cal Issue, and that the silver men will he
much better prepared than their opponents,
US was the case year ago Hard times
are over. business prosperity has returned;
the bankers and merchants who were vail
ing about the condition of affairs last YEAR.
ana VINO saw complete ruin in the triumph
f.N
vast spring they were complaining bitterly
because President Mckinley did not do
something with the currency the day after
ne was inaugurated. Now they are fear
ful that he will carry out their own recon-
nendations. 4-, They say that everything is
moving along nicely, and they are satisfied
with present conditions, and fear that any
agitation may upset the present p: osper-
ny. They regard the currency laws AS the
rishman did his roof-it didn't need mend
ng except when 1t rained.
secretary Gage made some wise remarks
,oday ON this question. He. too. believes
nat the next congressional elections will
De fought on the currency as single issue.
IND says that the gold men are greatly at |
disadvantage because they do not agree.
ne silver men are united on one Idea. and |
hat Is free coinage at 16 to |. They are |
Ike the Mohammedans--th Is but one |
iod, and Allah is prophet. On the other
lahd' he compares the gold people to the |
christian church--they are divided into |
orly denominations. presbyterians. Eplsco- |
'ailans, Baptists. Methpdists. Unitarians |
ND Quakers, each having his own method |
i salvation and insisting that every other
s wrong.