The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-22

eighty, this price will remain an un-
settled issue. 1t must be remembered
that while the ratification of treaty
by twothirds of the senate makes it a
public law of the United States; yet
this treaty does not appropriate the
money which 1t agrees 10 pay. That is
a little matter with which both houses
of congress are concerned, and requires
the enactment of a bill to such effect.
In view of the fact that the Fifty
fifth congress has now but little over
thirty days of working life remaining,
il is evident that the whole question Of
the treaty may be forced over to a spe
cial session of the Fifty sixth congress,
whose senate would doubtless favor
ratification, but whose house might
| make a more effective fight against
paying the price of the Philippines than
| could be put up by the present repre-
sentatives, emasculated as they are
| after two years of Servitude under
| Reed.
The possibility of an. extra session
| brings UP, naturally, the subject of
| currency reform There will be no
| financial legislation this session. The
so-called McCleary bill was put to sleep
the other day, the committee on bank
ing and currency voting to lay it on the
table. A similar quietus was admins
tered to the Brosius bill, some time
termed the "pop-gun' bill, which pro-
vides such minor reforms as allowing
banks to issue currency to the par
Of their bonds, and authorizing small
| banks with capital of $4,000. The
sentiment is strong among the earnest
| currency-reformers on the committee,
| that, since the silverites hold the bal
| ance of power in the present senate,
| it is useless to attempt any legisla-
| ton; but that there should be an eX-
| ira session, called by the president for
| the express purpose Of fixing the STAN
dard, and recasting and reforming the
entire currency system, and incidental
| ly fulfilling the long-neglected pledges
| of the Republican party
| But few weeks since, 1t was eXult-
| ingly proclaimed about that neither the
| administration nor the leaders would
| have anything to do with such plan.
| Well enough should be let alone. 1t
may be remembered that these same
|
| last spring, Mr.. Reed wishing to visit
Europe. However, the project, though
slumbering, is not dead, the cry of busi-
ness interests from all parts of the
country for rational and thorough
settlement of this question moving the
| thoughtful to deliberate whether it
would not be wise to first get the as
| surance of concerted action, and then
to urge the president to convene con-
gress early in March for the purpose
Of comprehensive currency legislation.
| Should the president be forced to con-
vene the F1fty-siXth congress in extra
session, through the failure of this con-
| gress to ratify the treaty, doubtless he
| will also recommend that currency
| legislation be enacted. Otherwise re-
form will probably have to wait and
| take its chances next December There
IS no strong feeling in the Republican
party in its favor. Most of the rank
and file ar woefully ignorant of the
| defects of the present system and Of
their necessary and proper remedies;
more are afraid to express themselves,
more are afraid to act. They are afraid
| Of the greenbacks, which they regard
as popular fetch; they are afraid Of
| the banks, which they regard as a
popular bogy. I'VE have got the gold
| standard now,' they plead, "and the
| country is prosperous. Why not let
well enough alone?'
Credit is due Senator Morgan for
| the fight he has. made for his Nicara-
guam canal BILL which, while admit
| ting many defects, he insists is the
| one most practicable under pressing
| circumstances. This measure certain
| ly is clumsy 1t subrogates the United
States into the position Of a stock
holder in private corporation; 1t
| makes us a partner with two petty
| Central American states. 1t leaves it
| questionable whether we would have
| the right to adequately protect our
| own property, worth hundreds Of mil
| lions Of dollars. But it does make a
start on a work which in the East is
| generally regarded as a necessity and,
perhaps, all the defects could be cured
by subsequent negotiation and enact
ment.
But it looks as If the house commit
tee on Interstate and foreign commerce
|
uation. 1t is proceeding leisurely with
it's hearings, listening to the arguments
| Of the Panama canal people, the Grace
syndicate and the Maritime Canal
| company, and indicating by it's ques-
tions and comments that, through a
system of successive disapprovals, it
might be forced to present bill Of its
own. Such a course, in the short time
remaining, would mean no legislation
at all this session; and, when it is
remembered that the Maritime canals
charter expires next fall, that Nicara-
qua has already sold a concession to
the Grace syndicate, and that the
Panama company has two-fifths Of it's
canal completed, and has 1000 en-
| ployes now at work, it will be seen
that a muddle must ensue in compar-
ison to which the difficulties Of Senator
Morgan's bill are petty, indeed.
The interstate and foreign commerce
committee has been more prompt with
q measure far less defensible.
Wednesday it brought up In the house
Mr.. Benefits bill for the construction
and maintenance of a Hawaiian tele-
| graph, whereby the United States
| binds itself to pay to the Pacific Cable
company the sum of 100000 a year
for twenty years for the construction
of a cable and the transmission of
messages from San Francisco to Homo
postmaster general may select. The