Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-22

WI
Ex-senator Edmunds.
tiCn, but is not a member of the COM
| mission. He is here to call the meet
ing 10 order, and several other members of
the executive committee will also be in
attendance, including Mr.. George Foster
Peabody of Brooklyn, Mr.. H. H. Kohlsaat
of Chicago, Colonel Irish of California. and
Mr.. Augustus f. Wilson of Louisville.
The executive committee of the none
tary commission" said Mr.. Hanna was
charged with the duty of securing authority
IRON Congress for the President of the
United States to appoint a commission to
take up the question Of a general finan-
cial plan for the country, including bank
leg ana currency system, and to study the
subject and recommend legislation to the
next session of Congress. That committee
spent several weeks here last spring in
Efforts to secure favoTa BILE action from Con-
gress The President announced in his
inaugural address his attitude upon tn.
matter, as being favorable to a currency
commission, and the entire administration
has been friendly to the project
railing to secure this authority from
Congress for commission the executive
committee proceeded to organize n commits
sion of its own. The executive committee
appointed subcommittee to confer with
fresioent mckinley and Secretary Gage
as TO the attitude of the administration
toward such a commission, liz order that
the men who should be appointed would
understand the interest which the admin
1Strauon would take in the matter,
Both President Mckinley and Secretary
Gage expressed themselves as being in the
most cordial sympathy with the work
and have rot hesitated to announce their
appreciation of the value of an organized
effort 10 secure an expression of public opir-
ion as to the wants of the country in
financial legislation. In fact the approval
OF the President and the Secretary o. the
cSnf
ly character.
Purpose of the Commisxiop
THE executive committee secured the
acceptance of the gentlemen named above
for appointment upon the commission IT
is the purpose of the mission TO take
up the subject Entrusted to them for in
Vestigation and study, ard to seek slg-
gestfonS and recommendations from every
body in an effort to obtain information of
the needs Of every part of the country
as to financial legislation, with the END
In view of making recommendations there
for that Will serve the whole people the
best without preferment of any interest or
any pert CT the country.
IF attention is given to the geoprapbi-
cal, political and commercial representa-
ton on the commission 1t will be noticed
that New England has one representative
the east three, the south two, the south
west one, the Pacific coast one, the north
west one, aid the central west two. There
are six republicans and five democrats
The character of the men who compose
the commission is of the highest They
We're chosen after the most careful con-
sideration of the situation. They are repre-
sentative men and thoroughly qualified for
the work they have undertaken. The COM
mission Will lay out its own plan of work
determine the length of its sessions and
where they shall meet, but my opinion
is that the commission will remain in ses-
SIGN until Congress assemblies"
Result Of the Indianapolis Convention
The gathering of this body of distin-
guished financiers and economists has fol-
lowed in quick ard systematic order the
sound money conference movement inaug-
urated at Indianapolis In November 1896
by the board of governors of the Indianapo-
lis board of trade. That body sent invita-
tons to the boards of trade of sixteen
cities to send three delegates to prelimi-
nary conference to meet In Indianapolis
in December.
The call set forth the following sugges-
ton:
1T is believed very earnestly that a non
partisan committee or commission COM
posed of experts judiciously selected by
representative conference of business men
should be chosen at an early day; and that
TO this commission should be assigned the
duty CT preparing plan which can be en-
bodied in such legislation as will place eur
monetary system on q permanently sound
basis.
me present grave 1uncture presents an
opportune occasion to the business men of
the country to intervene in a business mat
ter, and it is their duty as well as they
can to aid in the solution of a matter
which so intimately concerns the stability
of business.
The commission to be ultimately Sc
lected must be of such attachments and
character as not only to allay all suspicion
of any influence from class OF sectional in
terest, but it must be Of such fitness as to
inspire the confidence IN the mind of the
fair-minded citizen of the republic that its
work will be done for the permanent VEL
fare of the whole nation.
I'VE have great confidence in the patriot
ism of the masses of the American people
and believe that they will recognize rhe
wisdom of looking to a commission of the
character above described for the hest
solution of the questions involved, and that
the people will await the results of the
committees labor before committing Them
selves to any particular plan or sch e,ne
hastily or immaturely devised.
I'm view Of the grave character of the
situation which confrontS US, and the great
Importance of the work to be achieved by
the committee to be appointed, 1t is OBJ
vious that each commercial body, in choos-
ing its representatives to the proposed
conference, should nominate men whose
attachments, experience and character will
satisfy the demands Of the occasion"
The preliminary conference issued a call
for monetary convention of business
men," which assembled at Indianapolis
January II, 1897.
Retirement Of Government Notes.
The result of that convention was the