The times., 1897-12-03
CANNON ON LEGISLATION.
Appropriations to BE Kept Down as
Much as Possible.


at the Treasury Department again yester-
day, and ha d a long conference with secre-
tary Gage a bout the probable receipts and
expenditures during the next half OF the
present and the coming fiscal year. Mr.
Cannon is some what like an amateur coach
man with a team OF horses on his hands
that he has never driven. He hardly knows
what Congress intends 10 do in the matter
OF appropriations, and with member
sh.' hungry and thirsty for something that
viii commend them to their constituents
on the one hand, and the President IN
slsting that appropriations shall be kept
Down TO the lowest notch ON the other. the
los of the chairman OF the Committee on
Appropriations is anything but happy
one.
Nj. Cannon is consumed with a desire 20
know what may be expected Of that
new law known as tile Dingley bill, passed
~ his party at the extraordinary session.
for whict SO much was promised ard from
wliicb 50 little has come. He has bothered
the Secretary and urged that ,ii- figures be
prepaie ed which viii be a guide for the
counnttne, but the Secretary, depending
ui,on ms able assistants who did the same
figuring for the wilson German bill, has
tcry response. Meanwhile Congressman
are reaching the city ana every one of them
who has & creek in his district suspected
Of being nayigable by TIRE aid of an ap-
propriation is preparing for the onslaught
on the River and Harbor Committee. The
ether feli9ws have bills for public btil;i-
irgs, ana those who hail from the back
eds where there is not d population sd-
fifianI a p =
W with special aud general pension leefSla,
ton for the purpose of joHying their con
stiiuents and putting up front for re-
domination. Mr.. Cannon is expecting an
avalanche to fall down upon MIN, ana
he is doing his best to stop its Descent. FOR
he understands very wen that he is TO be
charged with the responsibility for every
thing that goes awry at the coming session.
fot can say Tor ME, said he yes
teiday afternoon, as he emerged from
the sanctum OF Secretary Gage, that
appropriations viii be kept down as much
as possible. However much we may at
tempt the plan of being economical, the
| House is lisely 10 run ava ! with the
committee, and no man can predict iust
what the outcome will he. There are
many public VOLTS that have been put
| taken care oil, for it would be fdiocy
| tc neglect them, now that they are under
way, and this would be false economy
| anyhow. ] am opposed to any enlarge
| ment of our Navy at thistine, and there ire
| several other directions in which we need
! not blow ourselves just at this juno
! ture. The situation is such that we must
be careful. The nlngley bill has not had
! ftgiepr n WI cbn
what it can do, and until tire receipts OF
! the Government equal its expenditures
there ought not To be any new field Of cx-
| pendItuTe opened up
When Mr. Cannon was asked a 10 the
| prospect OF currency reform at this Ses
sion Of Congress he grew emphatic in
that fashion peculiar 10 himself and so
picturesque that it must 5e seen AMI
! heard to be appre ciated.
Currency REFORM, he calculated. ..w hat
| the country wants more than it wants
| currency reform Or anything else Just now.
is rest. absolute rest and less OF agitd ion
1t is IDLE to talk Of currency reform for
the very simple reason that we cannot
secure it. The Fouse win probably do
what the Administration belle yes 70 %,
wise and Just, but the Senate-weu. il
|
| the Administration wants that man has
a firmeI belief in the presence of th,
mean approach Of the days of which We
read 10 the Goo,. Book than have Il
can't De Cone, | tell you. That mlcl
being admitted-and it is admitted ID,
sensible men, the next best thing 20 dc
il to let the whole thing alone and 7toI
agitation. 1t is just as injurious to diScas,
this subject Of currency reform now when
We car donothing. as ii would be to begin
a scheme for the revision Of the adff
Tor tbs reason 1 can see no use of ia,
House attempting anything. If We coul,
do something sensible, without being radi
ca. anc DO it promptly, il might be wei
but We can't even do that"
And what do you caH something Scnsi
lie that is not radical2n Mr. Cannon was
asked
IN tell YOU one thing that we might
do. and if we did il and stopped at tina
there would be no need for anything els,
at this time. There has been a gooC
deal Of talk about this endless chain,
caused by the reissuing of the greenback
ana their subsequent return for redemption
in gold. We should give the Secretar,
of the Treasury authority to use his dis
times of distress. We should invest hin
witt the power TO use the Judgment that
the prudent banker would use if thert
was danger Of run on his bank. WheI
such days come round. the Secretary ol
the Treasury should have tie power whei
greerbacks are presented, TO redeem then
aud lay them aside until the storm blew
over. If he could do this they would no
h rode ~
row and then redeemed again the mex
day, and theendesS chain would he broken
This is very simple thing to do, aud
shOuli think Congress would agree TO i
without 81. frightfuny much of a fuss
OF &C urse, it would be well to have tn
authotity, specifically set forth. to issu
short time and lUw-interest bearing bond
but this would be met with a no WI fror
various sections in both branches of Coz
gress.''
Suppose, though Mr.. Cannon wa
| asked, after YOU had laid aside YOU
greenbacks, according TO your plan, the
were needed the next day to nee
the demands upon the Treasury for IL
ordinary and current expenditures Of I'll
Government? How would YOU then met
those oblgations?''
Il am surprising retOrted Mr. Canno
with emphasis, that the present revenr
law will by the end of this fiscal yei
yield sufficient revenue to meet the currer
expenditures Of the Treasury. If it do,
not, there is but Ole alternative. We W
again have to deal with the subject 0f n
revenue and see that law is enacted thu
:, does give us revenue enough. do not Loo
: for any such contingency, however. tt
Dingley law will be ample 10y the end of II