The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1899-08-31
HOUSE MEMBERS
GIVE THEIR VIEWS.
Henderson of Iowa to Succeed
ed--Trusts a National
Menace.
De ARMOND, MINORITY LEADER.

New York, Aug. 26-Members
elected to the house of representa-
tives of the fifty sixth congress have
been asked by the New York Her
aid to indicate their preferences for
the successors of Speaker Reed and
JOS. ". Bailey, the minority leader,
and to explain their position in
regard to currency and trusts legis
lation, the two most important sub
jects that are likely to come before
the next house.
These were the questions asked
by the Herald:
What is your opinion Of the cur
rency question, and in what direc
ton will your influence tend during
the coming session.
What is your opinion on the
question of trusts? Do you regard
them as a national menace? Do you
favor making them national issue
and, il SO, to what extent and in
what direction do you think the ma
tioDal authority should be extended?
Answers were given by a very
large proportion of the 357 members
of the house. This response was
more that sufficient to indicate
clearly the lines upon which the
political situation Is shaping itself
From the replies received it appears
that David b. Henderson of Iowa
will be elected speaker of the house
without republican opposition.
David A. DeArmond of Missouri,
seems to be in the lead for the MI
nority nomination for thu speaker
ship, though other candidates have
a following.
Republicans are practically united
in support of the currency bill,
which will be reported to the next
congress by the currency commit
tee named by the republican caucus.
They expect this measure to estab-
lish the gold standard unequivocally
and to increase national bank circu-
lation by permitting the banks to
issue notes without restriction
This report will be bitterly
opposed by democratic members of
congress. who will advocate the
bimetallic system of currency, the
withdrawal of national bank circula-
ton, the retention of the greenback
system and the removal of the tax
on state bank notes, although the
last proposition probably will not
have the support of the democratic
caucus.
That trusts will furnish one of the
leading issues of the session and OF
the coming presidential campaign is
unmistakably foreshadowed. Demo
cratic members of congress are
unanimous in attributing the growth
of trusts to republican legislation.
The minority will demand the
abolition of duties on articles OF
trust manufacture and will advocate
the enactment of drastic national
laws against them The democratic
idea is that the trusts can be reach
ed most directly by means OF the
tariff, and that restrictive legislation
in conjunction with action by the
respective states, will solve th'
problem.
Some republican members discuss
remedial legislation in genera
terms, but the msjority, including
the recognized leaders OF the repub
lican party, as represented in con
eress, dodge the issue on tn
GROUND that the national govern
ment eau do nothing and that tn
state Legislatures alone can checl
, the trust evil, or that the question i
too large to discuss off hand.
The democratic position is wei
stated by Representative DeArmon'
who says:
MY judgment is that the cur
rency of the country should b
issued directly by the government