The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-11
Fa;nt=fieart at Washington.

The continued cOwardice of the Re-
mittee on banking and currency is in
eXpIicable even to those who believe
in sacrificing principle to expediency
The committee has been considering
form, and it is spending much time and
effort in endeavoring to agree upon a
measure that will command the sup
port of all by its compromise. 1t is
rumored that it will go no further than
the suggestions contained in the presi
dents message. 1t will avoid, if posi-
BILE. any reference to the gold standard;
1t will not interfere with the green
backs and it will point the ship abso-
Iutely toward that narrow and disap-
pearing passage between the opposing
financial chaos where no free outlet ex-
lists.
While such action would not have
been surprising at the opening of the
session and is, indeed, in conformity
with the Republican policy then out
lined, events have moved already far
beyond it. Both the president and the
lower house Of congress have put them
selves on record since last December
with such definteness that this re-
neWed effort to temporize is the mere
oily Of Noin ~ NIr. ;oJo
used guarded language to express him
self in his message to congress. Since
that, events have driven him hard, and,
In his address to the National Manu-
facturers' association, he took the
plunge boldly. He then declared pub
licly that the gold standard must be
maintained; that every obligation of
the government must be discharged in
that form of money which should be
recognized as Of most unquestioned
value by the civilized nations of the
world. and that any attempt to change
the standard or depreciate the curren-
cy would meet with unfaltering oppo-
sition SO much for the executive.
Since the house met it, also, has been
forced to a vote. The Teller resolution
which came down from the senate in
VOlved the abolition of the existing
standard and. by public confession of
its author, presented the. silver ques-
ton naked to congress. The lines were
drawn strictly, and no man who voted
against that resolution, as the Republi-
favor by any explanation among that
portion of his constituents which up
holds the free coinage Of silver, or dali
lies with what Teller and Towne and
the rest of them understand by "bimet
aIlism." So much for the legislature
The wariest Of politicians, when he
stands on the brink of a stream, ought
to know, without needing some one to
push him in, that water is wet. Cur
iency reform must and will be accom-
plished in the United States before the
vast issues raised within the last few
years are settled permanently The
RepuDllcan record is fully made up.
That any representatives Of that party
should still hold back in the traces;
that he should pretend to occupy diff
ferent position from that which his par
ty has taken, or assume to gloss over
its positive declarations and acts with
the veneer of his own mental reserva-
fiOn ic tha last evtrenoitv of poIitioo
coWardice. The Faint Hearts at the
capital cannot eXpunge the record, but
they may do much to retard and defer
such scheme of financial reform as
alone will take this issue out of politics
and place the currency of the nation
o. The only basis approved by economic