The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-12-21

nalr tone portraits of Baths representa-
tive men and of Names congressional
delegation. 1t also contained letters from
Senators Hale and Frye and Representa-
tive Dingley on the decline of our foreign
carrying trade. all expressing eagerness
to aid In its revival. None of them com
mitted himself, however, to the plan of
revival by a discriminating duty on for
eign ships, though this was the plan en-
dorsed by the Maine Republican platform
and the National platform. Mr.. Dingley
saws it will probably be necessary for
our government to lend helping hand
In such way as may seem most effective
and practicable" Senator Frye says the
President will undoubtedly recommend
some action but he apprehends the real
trouble will come from difference of
opinion as to what the remedy ought to
be- AIr. Hale says, ''Just what form
legislation should take am not quite
certain about as yet, but have little
doubt that Congress will afford some
help"
| Senator Chandler has sounded another
alarm, and it looks as if this one might
have a little more reason on
its side than some that he
has sounded in the rast. The
danger which he now seeks to warn his
party of is the danger that it will be
split into factions by Secretary Cages
financial bill which he characterizes as q
measure gotten up by the Gold Standard
League. and self constituted national
monetary conference. Ii 1t be pressed the
New Hampshire senator believes it will
split the Republican party into fragments
and unite the opposition; lose the next
House of Representatives to the Repubn-
cans, and elect Bryan in 1900. MIR.
Chandler is nothing unless sensational,
and when he sounds an alarm he rings
the bell loudly enough for everybody to
hear.
| There is, however, a certain amount
Of truth il what Mr.. Chandler says. The
danger which Mr.. Chandler thinks he
sees is not of course SO great and far
reaching rs he declares, but that there
may be mischief in pressing MIR.
Cages bill at this time Is
in all probability true. Mr..
Chandler is quite right in saying that
there is a time for everything, and that the
present is not the time for pressing rad j.
cal currency legislation. If one asks why.
the conclusive answer is that neither
Congress nor the people are prepared for
it. 1t must always be borne in mind
| that oar,ti &c mot p7l1nr I
of the best or the wisest or the most ex-
perienced. 1t is government of the
average. To say Their fore that a measure
ought to be pressed because the wisest
and best are in favor Of it, even if that
| be true, is not sufficient. Before meas
ure is pressed upon the majority party in
Congress it ought to be clear that it is &C
ceptable to the average of that majority S
constituency-in short that it meets the
views of the mass of the party whose
representatives are urged to pass it.
Nothing is more certain than that Sec
rotary Cages measure does not do this.
1t may be the best measure per Sc in the
world, but at the present time it is not
generally acceptable to the PARTY that it
is urged upon, and therefore its rejec.
ton Is practically certain. If this were
all the effect that would follow it would
still be foolish to press 1t. But this is
only part. The pressing of this bill is
sure to prscipitate long and angry dis,
cussion on a topic which cannot at this
time be thus discussed without doing
harm. The business of the country is
slowly reyiying, but the patients health
is not yet so firmly settled as not
to be likely to be affected
by the shock of currency dis.
oussion in which all sorts OF wild PROPOSE
lions will be enunciated and all sorts OF
quack nostrums threatened. Though ouy
currency system is not in all respects
what it should be 1T does not threaten
the country's life or seriously jeopardizC
its health. Our particular disease now
is the result Of lack of revenue and until
this.l cured, it may be unwise to magni
fy by congressional debate the ills that
may flow from our faulty currency SYSTEM
When prosperity has been well established
1t will be comparatively easy to do al
the reforming of the currency that il
needed. Then people will not be SO fid
getty about it, nor SO suspicious that
every change proposed is change in the
interest of gold bugs and bankers