The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-05-11
Matter Has Been Discussed at Cabi-
net Meeting.
FAVORED BY PRESIDENT
WANTS PHILIPPINE AND CUR
RENCY QUESTION SETTLED.
Does Not Desire That These Matters
Should Become An Issue In the
Campaign of 19OO-Looking Out
For the Success of the Republican
Party.

! New York, May 10-A special to the
Tribune from Washington says:
The revival of the talk of an extra
session of congress has more behind ii
than idle gossip. The contingency of
| such session has been discussed at a
cabinet meeting and a member of that
body who was. present at the time is
authority for the statement that the
presidents mind is strongly inclined
| toward such a move. Two reasons
| chiefly control the president in this
matter.
| He wishes the policy of the govern
ment with respect to the Philippines
defined and the currency question dis
posed of before the party enters the
campaign of 1900. The president has
| declared his belief to his advisers that
peace will be established in the Philip
pines within the next thirty days, and
that the ownership and possession of
those islands will no longer be dis
puted. This subject coming to him so
soon. he does not care to formulate Il
policy with respect to their government,
the degree of home rule to be granted
to them, etc, without the aid of con-
gress, in whose hands he placed the
whole subject in his message to that
body. The president is unwilling to do
abundant prospects of success for his
party in the coming campaign. He
fears that anything looking like delay
or indeciSion will have a bad effect.
For this reason he wants the whole
country to know before 1900 exactly
what the policy of the government Will
be with respect to possessions in the
far east.
The Currency Question.
Another powerful controlling motive
that is actuating the president is his
strong desire to have early and posi-
tive action taken with respect to the
currency question. He is said TO be
not thoroughly satisfied with the re-
suits of the deliberations of the Repub-
lican house caucus committee, which
recently formulated a bill for introduce
ton in the house when it convenes
again. Although the members of that
committee are unusually reticent, it is
understood that the committee has not
in all respects followed the suggestions
of the president. Four strong points
were brought out by the president and
the committee was thoroughly ac-
quainted with his position. These rec
concentrations We're:
First-A provision that will make the
so-called endless chain caused by the
redemption of greenbacks with gold and
consequent runs upon the treasury re-
serve, impossible.
Second-That national banks be per-
mitted to issue circulation up to the
par value of the bonds deposited to Sc
cure that circulation, instead of only
80 per cent, as at present.
Third-A reduction of the tax on ma
tional bank circulation, the present tax
being l per cent.
Fourth-That national banks with a
capital of only $4,000 be authorized TO
be established in small towns, the mini
mum now being $4,000.
Not being satisfied that the meas
ure formulated by the house commit
tee meets the situation, the president
wishes the whole question taken up
and disposed of as early as possible,
so that it may not be a factor in the
coming campaign. This also appears to
be the view of the leaders. Mr.. Aid
rich, chairman of the senate commit
tee on finance, who has just returned
from Europe, in an interview in New
York in the Tribune recently said he
would call his committee together as
soon as possible, and, as he expressed
it, get right down to business
This committee was authorized to sit
during the recess, but it was believed
that not until the cool months of the
fall season would it really do any work
on the SUBJECT. Inc declaration OF
Chairman Aldrich evidently indicates
a change of programme.
In his talks with senators and rep
resentatives, particularly those who in
tended spending the summer abroad,
the president has intimated the
possibility of a legislative emergency
that would require their presence in
Washington earlier than was thought
likely when the fifty-first congress ad-
jaurned. The struggle over the speak
erhsip will consume time that was not
anticipated.
Although the president is extremely
cautious how he discusses even the
possibility of a special session of con-
gress, his advisers who are closest to
him, regard a special session as al
most an assured fact. The men on
whose authority the above expressions
are based, is of the opinion that when
the president returns from Hot Springs.
where he has gone for rest, he will
permit it to become mi-officially
known that congress is to be convened
some two or three months earlier than
the date for the regular meeting.