The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-07-02
WHAT WOULD THEY DO?


ability that their will elect majority of the next house
Of representatives.
At the moment it is not by any the unanimous +
agreement that won't be happy till get it. for most OF
the wiser and cooler heads agreed that there would
be elements of great party danger in democratic majority
in the house facing hostile senate and president
In the first place business or properly trade
reaction is held be impending Concerning this there is
little difference of opinion The only element of doubt about
this is when the reaction will become serious enough
to cause general uneasiness
What the bankers call book settlement Is inevitable
and accept reject you will the opinion ex
pressed TO leader of in hearing by the head OF
Of the oldest and richest banks here that this final book
settlement he expressed himself not be postponed
beyond eighteen months Ventung to ask his reasons Tor
his views the banker frankly said to me that the country
has overtraded ITSELF and he voluntarily remarked that his
bank had already begun its settlement There Is such
condition much prosperity hurtfu alike nations
and individuals" he continued
Knowing that this banker was In close intimacy with the
reashis bank during the past forty years having handled
something like billion of treasury bonds and over-dras
his remarks impressed deeply that presumed to press
upon him further questionable he anticipate CONNER
cia disaster as result of the countrys too great trade ex
panson'
mot all" he answered quickly and decisIvey 81
gard panic as impossbe-tha is to truly National
tyngup of money This country will again in time
experience financial difficulties remotely resembling
those of IS93o4 Money is too widely distributed
wealth. corporate and personal Is general there too
powerful banks all the capable of taking
care of themselves Wall street panic will never again
National disaster But he is short-sighted and
angune who expects this degree of prosperity to con-
country has got to take stock There must be book settle
ment.'
These views of banker Washington may be accept
ed for whatever value various individuals place upon
them, but Il does require the alert observer per-
ceive that such views general And the combine
tons OF capital come within the past two years to control
line of industry In this country from little snuff mills
to three billions of In railroads have yet to be tried
| in great financial business emergency
But however all that may be- the presidential election in
be and lost the business situation then
Hanna sounded the real note of the repub
ca of VIII in his hio he
other day, he bade the country Keep letting we'll
enough alone That but repeating in substance the
publican cry Of which the people heakened
That the state of trade and the general condition of the
country will be well enough twentyfour months hence
obervant do believe and herein lies big poll
tics If democratic house shall be elected the coming au-
umn and the expected business reaction takes place within
eighteen months thereafter the republicans will immediately
proclaim that even the partial democratic success OF an Off
year had alarmed the business interests and filled the
people with fear of certain forms City platform
legislation And seeing that the people have twice refused TO
accept such legislation the effect of the republican
ment baseles and unenabe might be in this instance
be readily imagined minded anticipates
rcadopton of the Kansas City platform Ieo4 but it will
be held remain in all its parts democratic doctrine until
part formally discarded by another National
ton of the party Wise unwse the party holds that plat
form to be party law.
Going back to what seems to be probable democratic
house which would assemble the of the next presi
dental campaign and in the face of possible business depes
son and we have condition to cause democrats anxious
thought No purely democratic legislation would be possible,
In the end and that end coming with the rising tide of the
presidential canvass the house would be compelled merely
register the will of the republican senate and the republican
president
In that aspect would be purely automatic body while
in other and purely political respects II would be in position
to make many grave, disastrous, bunder Too many
members might be DESTROYS of going record in favor OF
this that impossible proposition The everpresen issue of
the tariff is alone big with danger the party has hereto
fore discovered its bitter whilst other demo-
in this country has appeared times be faddst
the purely business issues OF coinage and currency the
party has known, almost to its destruction.
Thus have of the suggestions of danger in
democratic house Of representatives sandwched between
republican senate and president the eve OF presidential
election.
To Offset this possible danger confessed there
is much possible good in sight 1t true that republic
legislation would be eectuay checked but If the
democratic be juf it be democratic of the democ
racy of the fathers of the addshe repub
can party legislation there be before November 1904
greater and lasting will be that partys defeat If the
democratic party 1876 and 1884 be the party of 1904 not
the weakest brother OF will feel shver OF fear
Rising that is based upon the political facts of
generation the best hope of democratic house elected this
year would upon the apparent trfe of smelling
meesthose obscure standing committees the house on
expenditures Of the various departments of the
So obscure are they that the public doesn't know thew exist
and scarcely them has been heard of nearly thirty
years except when clerk would read them as having
been named by the speaker in the first month
session OF each succeeding Yet these little
mttees which have nothing to do in these days of
holding meetings do exist and given certain conditions
capable of doing great work
Il is something like thirty years ago since the country
heard much of any of these so-caed smelling" COM
mittees Then the world rune with the doings of Of
them. II that officially known the committee on
expenditures of the department Joe Blackburn. then
and obscure member made chairman of the COM
mttee the house that time being democratic the senate
and president neutrality-suspicious. which may after
the 4th Of March
Ambitious and jealous Blackburn argued that the bust
Of investigating committee investigate prop
oston in effect long afterward made famous by Lord Ran
doph ChuFchs dictum that it the duty OF the oppo-
ston oppose And the Kentckian nvesti-
eating the expenditures In the department The official
corruption ne discovered and exposed proved disastrous
the republican party, and it still smells to heaven.
Let assume therefore that the house will be dem
ocra and that the speaker whoever he may be- will have
the good make the right chairman Of the COM
In the-