Evening star., 1898-01-19
SPEAKS FOR THE,PRESIDENT
View at tie Capitol of Secretary Cages Po-
sition.
Currency Measure Which 1t is Said
Will Be Agreed Upon by the Re-
Publicans In the House.

Notwithstanding Senator Wolcott's as
sumption that Secretary Cages views on
finance do not accord with those of the
President. Mr.. Gage represents the finen-
cial branch of the administration. and will
probably continue to do Mr.. Gage was
before the House committee on banking
and currency yesterday again, as a repre-
sentative of the administration sustaining
his propositions for currency reform based
on the continuance of the gold standard
Representative Johnson of Indiana, a
member of the committee, said today that
the committee-that is, the republicans of
the committee-would before long get to-
gether on bill which could be put
through the House. What is in contem-
plation is the construction of measure
which will meet with the approval of the
administration and of a majority of the
republicans in Congress. That which has
the approval of a majority of the republi-
cans will be expected to get the support
of all. in considering the attitude of the
administration the Secretary of the Treas
ury is regarded as the representative of
the President. No one has appeared with
any antasonistic view claiming to repre-
sent the President, and it is assumed that
the Secretary of the Treasury as usual,
speaks for the administration.
The sort of measure which Mr. johnson
says the committee will get together on
is such as to indicate that the committee
have no doubt of the desire of the admin
1stration to maintain the present gold
standard, Notwithstanding the impression
Mr Wocott appears to have that Mr. Nc
klnley Is being misrepresented by Mr.
Gage.
The Probable Measure,
Mr.. Johnson says that the measure final
ly agreed upon will comprise. first, a re-
affirmation of the present gold standard:
second, the retirement of the demand OBJ
legations of the erOyerpmept. third tbo at
vorcing Of the treasury from the func-
tions of a bank of issue; fourth the SUBJ
Stltut1on for retired demand obligations to
avoid contraction of the currency of n
circulating medium of bank notes based,
TO reasonable extent, upon commercial
assets.
There is no doubt that such a measure
would meet with the approval of the Pres
ident.
Alleged Differences
Mr.. Wolcotts speech was a revival of
the suggestion made by certain western
republicans who still cling to silver, that
there is a difference between the President
and Secretary Gage. 1t was supposed that
this question was settled when Mr.. Gage
indicated to the President that he would
retire from the cabinet If his position on
the money question was embarrassing to
the President. and the President assured
rim that no such embarrassment existed.
1t may be, however, that Mr. Wolcott-s
criticism of Mr.. Gage will result in a more
definite determination of the question If
1t were true that the Secretary of the
Treasury used his influence to render in
effective policy earnestly advocated by
the President the mere disclosure of the
fact would render II impossible for the re-
lations of the President and Secretary to
continue. The continuance of those rela-
tiOns indicates that the President does not
regard anything Mr. Gage has done as an
assault upon the policy Of the administra-
ton
Opposing the WOlcOtt COmmission
1t is said that Mr.. Gage wrote letters to
certain foreign officials antagonistic to the
purposes of the Wolcott commission, and
that Mr.. Wolcott saw one or more of
these letters. 1t is said that Mr.. Wolcott
referred to this when he said in his speech
that certain .pretenied statements in let
terS and interviews of the Secretary of
the Treasury had interfered with the
work of the commission. 1t is said that
such letters were written to certain
French officials, and it is insinuated that
they may have been written to persons in
communication with Lord Salisbury and
others.
The implication of this assertion will
naturally compel an explanation if the
matter comes to the Secretary of the
Treasury in way to warrant his taking
notice of if.