The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-06-01
CAGES TALK ON FINANCE.

Secretary of the Treasury Gage ad-
dressed a number of commercial clubs
at Cincinnati last Friday. These were
not local clubs but were from Boston.
! Chicago, ST. Louis and Cincinnati.
Part of his address was devoted to the
financial question. When the head of
the treasury department speaks on
finance. all listen; and they expect to
hear something definite. 1t is to be
feared that those who expected this
from Secretary Gage were greatly dis
appointed or else very easily satisfied.
He said that over fifty times he had
been asked: Have the financial re-
forms for which the people struggled
in November last, been forgotten"
After this he made some remarks on
the tariff now before congress, and then
replied to the question that had so
often been paid TO him in these words:
AS to the financial question to which
L have already referred, I must content
myself with few words. 1 am glad that
they may be words OF assurance. If
any of you harbOr the suspicion that
the administration, but just now in
stalled into the responsibilities of high
Office has forgotten, or is likely to for
get the mandate of the people, whose
voice in behalf of honest money and
sound finances rang out loud and clear
in November last, put that suspicion
aside 1t is unjust and unfounded. In
good time and in proper order the
affirmative evidence of my declaration
will appear. In the meantime, my
friends, do your part TO help those
charged with legislative and admins
trative duties.
Do not let the inertia engendered by
fear and distrust creep over you. We
have been passing through a period of
great trial, and nobly we have endured
the strain. The future is not dark with
forebodings. 1t is Illuminated with ra-
tional hope. The revival Of industry
is near, and with the establishment of
a revenue law sufficient TO bring into
the treasury an amount adequate to
meet the reasonable needs of our gov
eminent, and with the establishment of
our finances on a sound and enduring
basis, nothing now foreseen can delay
the recovery of past losses, and the in
auguration Of a new forward move
ment along the lines of material ad-
vancement and social progress, which
we may humbly trust is in the benev-
client mind of God to bestow upon the
American people.
The answer is disappointing, it might
almost be termed shifting. The adj
ministration may not forget the man
date of the people. whose voice in be-
half of honest money and sound finan-
ces rang out loud and clear in Novem-
Der last but what the people want to
know is what Interpretation the ad-
ministration is going to place upon that
mandate. Secretary Cages words shed
no more light upon it than does the
ST. Louis platform. He merely tells
the people TO have faith and patience.
They want some definite knowledge on
which to base this faith and patience
they are hidden to have. So far as
shedding lipht on this point is con-
cerned the secretary of the treasury
might Just as well have repeated the
rule of three or a nursery rhyme. The
exhortation net TO let the inertia en-
gendered by fear and distrust creep |
over his hearers was all very well from
the humility and good citizen point Of
view, but why did he not tell them
something definite that would have
prevented this very inertia? 1t must be
confessed that the secretary talked |
somewhat after the manner of man
who did not know just where he was
ar