Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-09-05
Condemns Secy. Cages Attempt
to Raise a Scare"
"Tying to Alarm Business Interests For PoIiti-
cal Effect Remedy Now In the
Administration Hands,

the evident purpose of alarming the
business community and the possess
ing classes generally.
hardly need to say to you that the
spreading Of false alarms of this kind
is very questionable and responsible
thing for anybody and especially for a
secretary of the treasury. And call
your prediction of the possibilities spe-
Gifted by you and of the disasters sure
to follow, a false alarm for a very SIM
pie reason. Whoever may be elected
president on Nov. 6, there will be an
other session of congress before he
will take office on March 4, 1901. The
Republicans will have strong majori.
! ties in both houses of that congress.
The executive, too, will be in their
hands. They will, therefore, be able
to make such laws as they please.
They will thus have full power and
ample opportunity before the inaugur-
alton Of the next president to pass any
legislation required to make it utterly
impossible to any president to break
down the gold standard in the way
you Mr.. Secretary, describe in your in
terview. "A simple enactment ip two
or three lines substantially providing
that it shall be the duty of the secre-
tary Of the treasury to pay in gold or
silver, at the option of the creditor.
all kinds of indebtedness of the Unit
| ed States now payable in coin, may be
| sufficient. And if there should be an
other flaw In the present law danger
Gus to the gold standard in any other
way, you. Mr.. Secretary, able financier
as you are, will surely detect it, and
| find legislative remedy and have 1T
ready in the shape of well matured
bill to be submitted to congress at the
opening of the session. In short, the
Republicans, controlling both the legis-
lative and the executive branches of
the government, will next winter, have
ample power and opportunity to do
what they ought to have done at the
last session-to put the currency law
in such shape that the gold standard
cannot possibly be shaken by executive
action, no matter who may occupy the
presidential chair--and thus remove, to
that extent at least the basis Of our
monetary system from the changeful
game of party politics.
Do you see any reason for doubling
that congress at its next session will
do this? 1t Is quite evident that If
there is any substance at all in your
predictions of disaster the Republicans
in congress cannot refuse to do 1t with
ont proving that the professed solicit
tude of the Republican party for the
maintenance Of the gold standard is
arrant hypocrisy But if there be any
wavering, 1 am convinced public opin-
ion will, In case of necessity, compel
them to take the necessary steps.
You will thus have to admit, Mr.. Sec
retary, that when you sounded your
note of alarm, you had overlooked the
most important fact that you and your
party friends, that is, the Republican
majority, in congress, led by the ad-
ministration of which you form so in
fiuential part, will be able easily and
promptly to remedy the defects of the
law which you have described as
source of terrible danger, and therefore
your note of alarm was, to say the
least, a mistaken enc. 1t may suggest
itself to you as matter worthy of
grave consideration whether you
should not retract what you have said.
in fairness to the business community,
which should not be unnecessarily dis
quieted, especially not by those in au-
thority. Lam sure many of your fellow
citizens are anxious to know what
you may have to say on this aspect Of
the situation. Very respectfully yours.
G. sCHURZ.
Bolton Landing, Lake George, N. Y.
Sept. !.