Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-09-16
THE FINANcIER AND THE PAR


You concluded the interview of July
10 by saying that the law might. in
decd. be subjected ito a severe strain
from the November day that Mr..
bryan's election were made known until
the treasury was turned over to him
ON March A." and that the present Ad-
mlniStration would probably have to
use to the uttermost the powers con-
ferred by the new law to maintain the
gold standard" owing to possible ap-
prehensions that might be created
among the business community, which,
however. does not impugn your previous
statements as to the safety of the gold
standard under the law as 1t stands.
Thus IT is Mr.. Gage who brings
against himself the charge of spreading
false alarms" In the one column we
hear you as the financier and the con-
scientious public officer who feels 1t to
be his duty not to excite, but to allay
unnecessary disquietude. If it be sug-
gested that MIR. Bryan, if elected, might
announce his purpose TO pay interest on
bonds. and the current expenses of the
government in silver. and thereby grad
ually bring us on the silver basis, the
conscientious public officer answers:
DO not excite yourself about this
Even If Mr.. Bryan were ever much
so inclined. he would under the law not
be able to accomplish this mischief
And If there be n furry OF apprehension
ways remember that the gold standard
Will find protection under the law. any
how. BE not unnecessarily frightened.
but go quietly about your business"
In the other column we hear the par
tisan. who, in order to tcrrfy the pub
lie for the benefit of his candidate. des-
cries all manner of deviltry and trouble
that may happen under the law; who,
when n way to strengthen the law is
pointed out to him, as did point it out.
lightly puts that aside as impra ctica-
BILE: and who-an almost unheard- of
thing even in our political warfare
suggests that the possible successors OF
the present President and the present
Secretary of the Treasury may intend
deliberately to violate the law by the
exercise of 'perverse ingenuity"-all
this to put the people into a panicky
mood and thus to drive them to Mr..
Mckinley as their only savior from a
vague sort OF disaster.
CONGRESS NOT TO BE FEARED.
OF the same color is the prediction
that the sound money majority in Con-
greSS may be wiped out, and that then
the gold standard law will be repeal
ed. You know. MIR. Secretary, that this
is no more likely to happen than Il
heavy snowstorm in July in the lati-
tudc OF Washington. 1t is admitted
that there will be II sound money ma
jority in the Senate for at least two
years longer And If in two years the
gold standard should appear to be in
the slightest danger, is it not absolute
ly certain that then the same forces
that carried the election of 1896 would
be on hand to elect a sound money
House of Representatives? There can
be no doubt of this.
No candid person can have watched
recent political developments without
concluding that even Il Democratic
House of Representatives. elected I'M
der the influence of the present public
sentiment. would always have sound
money Democrats enough in 1t to pre-
vent subversion of the gold standard.
You need only observe the present
condition of the Democratic party to
become convinced that the silver
movement has lost it's vitality. and
that the talk about silver now is n
mere rafting with dry bones. kept up
on one side to have an appearance of
consistency. and on the other to
brighten people into forgetting all
other questions and voting for Mr.. Nc
Kinley. And this, Mr.. Secretary, is the
task you are now performing. 1t Is an
attempt SO to terrorize the American
people with a threat of business dis
aster that they may be deferred from
considering any other question, and
from casting a vote which would
amount to n condemnation of Mr.. Nc
Kinley's imperialistic policy. I, for