The times., 1898-01-06
ALLEN ON THE COMMISSION

II have glanced through the report
of this monetary commission said
Senator Allen, of Nebraska, ''and I can
only say that / do not find anything
in it that surprises me. 1t is exactly
the sort OF report and the conclusions
are precisely what We're TO be ex-
pected when We consider the source
from which they emanate.
These gentlemen have Iabored long
TO perfect a plan of legislation which
they hoped would be promptly adopted
by Congress. But, however honest
they may be in their views, they do
not represent the great mass Of the
people. Their ideas have no more
other body of men if presented to Con-
gress in the same way.
Unfortunately they look at the
financial question from the standpoint
OF the banker and are unable to view
il in any other light. They see our
financial system through glasses that
are colored and which distort the ac
tual conditions and give IL color that
blinds them TO the real situation.
but they are not the men to make the
fiscal laws of the country at the pres
ent time. The banker and the moneyed
man naturally desires the dearest kind
of money. the money that CAN be
'cornered' and made scarce when the
holder of that money wishes to make
1t so. For that reason they favor the
single gold standard and antagoniZa
the money of the people, both gold and
@ hn hlr -
constitution.
No plan agreed upon by such men
can meet with favor at the hands OF
the mass of the people. 1t is no eXas
geration of the truth 10 say that five
siXths of the people OF the United
States are opposed TO the adoption of
the single gold standard such as is ad-
vocated by these gentlemen and by the
present Secretary of the Treasury. The
majority of the Republicans are BIZ
metallists and believe that the plat
form adopted by that party at st. Louis
means what it says, and not what MIR.
Gage is seeking to establish. Had
there been an idea at that convention
that the pledges there made in favor
of bimetalliSm were a fraud and a
snare intended to catch votes, there
would have been such a Sloughing off
in the Republican vote as would have
astounded the leaders and managers
of that party.
These gentlemen have labored long
and have finally produced a work
which, while it may be thoroughly sat
isfactory to them, cannot by any posi-
bility be made so to the American peo-
pie. 1t is the height of folly to hope
that such a scheme as this can receive
the sanction of the legislative branch
of the government. Congress will
never enact into law the plan of these
gentlemen. The House may pass such
a measure or one kindred to il. through
the aid of the Speaker and the power
ful rules which apply in that House,
but the Senate will never do anything
of the kind. 1t is impossible to put
through the Senate any measure along
the lines laid down by this commission
or in line with the policy of the Sec
retary OF the Treasury.
Even Republicans are opposed to it.
Thinking men of that party see the inn
possibility of doing that which these
men want done. and they are uttering
their protests against the agitation of
the currency question. 1t Will be a case
of loves labor lost so far as this COM
mission is concerned, and of diSap-
pointed ambition on the part of Mr..
Gage Congress is not here to exercise
the will of this distinguished body of
bankers, nor the pleasure of the Secre
tary who presumes to speak for the
people of the United States. Congress
is fresh from the people. 1t knows
what that people want, and when it has
spoken the legislation on the financial
question will be in accord with the
views of the people. The Senate stands
like a buIwark against the designs of
the national banks and the theories of
the financiers. 1t stands for the money
of the constitution, and will not be
swerved from the pathway of duty
which lies plainly before it. The influ-
ence of these gentlemen composing this
commission will not be felt. The pleas
ure of the Secretary and the wish of
the Administration will be ignored.
There will be no legislation such as has
been mapped out by the Indianapolis
monetary convention