Arizona republican., 1898-09-09
CURRENCY REFORM.

| time for thinking about putting our
 currency system in order is again here
 Of course, the country is in no mood
 to listen to all the old discussions over
 again; nor is that necessary There is
 probably now more general agree
 nens among the American people than i ever before as to what the main lines
 of currency reform should be. What
 is wanted is not more talk, but action.
 Everything is ready for that, and the
 opportunity for right action is excep-
 tioral1y favorable. Congress will sure
 ly be asked to do something as soon as
 it meets in December. The bill pre-
 pared by the house committee, on the
 basis of the recommendations of the
 Indianapolis commission, can be taken
 up at once It is a measure which,
 without being perfect, would go far, if
 enacted, to remedy the worst evils in
 our present currency conditions
 In view of it's record thus far there is not much reason for believing that the present congress can
 be induced to pass this bill, or any l thing like it. But the fact should not 1 be overlooked that before the next ses- sion begins the election of new con-
 gress will have taken place; and it is
 not impossible that. if the voters make
 clear at the polls this fall their desire 1 for q real and sound reform of the
 currency the outgoing congress may
 nave the grace and good sense to be
 influenced thereby. The probable com
 pleXion of the next congress, as re- gards currency reform, becomes, there fore, a matter Of considerable interest And the probabilities are, it is pleasing 1 to be able to say, that the friends of the geld standard and of a sound and scientific currency system will have a working majority in both branches after the fourth of next March Of the ninety seats in the senate the republi- cans will probably have fifty-one They have already gained two, by electing McComas in place of German of Mary land and by capturing the Oregon legislature. They are practically sure
 of carrying the legislatures in Ne braska, Delaware, Wisconsin, New York, North Dakota, New Jersey and Indiana. They may lose the seat now
 held by Clark of Wyoming, but they
 have some chance of gaining seats in California and West Virginia
 l Out of these various probabilities co +o oil them, at the least, a net gain of eight to be added to their present forty i three votes. If all republican senators
 were to be counted as sound money
 and currency reform men, there would
 thus be, counting with the Senators
 Gallery of Louisiana and Lindsay of
 Kentucky, a total of fifty-three votes for the complete sound money strength. Unfortunately. it is complimenting the republicans too highly to assume that they will all be found on the right side on a roll call on every currency ques- tion. There are four of them, outside of Clark of Wyoming, who will prob ably lose his seat anyway, who may choose to vote with the silver demo- crats. These are Chandler of New Hampshire, Carter of Montana, Warren of Wyoming and Wolcott of Colorado. All of them supported Mckinley for president on the St. Louis platform, and it is generally thought that at ileast three of them will stand by the party organization. But if all four should desert, there would still be, on the previous figuring, a probable vote of forty-nine to forty-one in favor of system.
 This, it is needless to add, will give us more satisfactory senate than we have had for a long time. In the house the prospect of sound money gains is not 50 good, but fortunately such gains are not so much needed there, There is good sound money majority in the lower branch of the present congress; and though the republicans will .rob- ahjr lose a good many seats this f.ll. theic is little chance that their major fly in the next house will be less than
 t~e1ltv five or that the sound money
 msic-ity viii not he more than t's:,5- fife republican llcsses wi}l be mainly
 in New York. Pennsylvania Nalysand, and tie middle west; and the Gerlc- clats elected from those states will 5e as strong currency reforners a. then predecessors. h the wheat growing states :arti.e9 west, where tho cXpegi
 eAtes Of the farmers Ill the last tg z
 years have disprCyed the free silver G intention most conspicuously, good many popocratic congressman are like ly to be superseded by republicans. Tn
 t,.c present house the republican ma
 jo"ity is about fifty; loss Of more
 U ali half Of it in the next one is not
 pro bable We shall thus have. after l..,t March, 9 clear sound money na-
 io..i1y in both branches of congress What effect, if any, the assurance of this will have on the currency lesisld-
 tion of the last session of the present ] z inc fo fo i+ TCo.