The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1903-05-22
LEGIsLATING ON FINANCES.
Repubficap Senators Working In Sc
cret on Laws which viii
Favor Corporations.

The future financial affairs of the
United States are in the hands Of
four men, and the next session Of
congress is expected to ratify the
financial bill they have been formu-
lating. Senator Aldrich. of Rhode
Island. is the leader of these astuto
republican politicians and his we'll
known connection with the greatt
and corporation interests bodies Ill
for the ordinary taxpayer. Senator
Allison is another of the four, and
the railroad corporations of the west
have ever counted him as their
friend. Senator Platt, of Connecticut.
forms the third of the quartette. and
his vote in the senate has universal-
ly been for the corporations and
combines. Senator Spooner is the
remaining one, and. being the leader
of the corporation interests in Wis
consin. his vote In the senate may
be relied on for the legislation that
Wall street demands.
Tie financial bill that thSss four
leaders of the republican party viii
evolve will without doubt be the
most adroitly drawn proposition t0et
has ever been presented to congress.
The great banking interests will
gladly lend their greatest lawyers
TO add their skill to that Of the com.
mittee. The experts of the treasury
department are all at the service OF
congress. and have already prepared
! data at Senator Aldrichs request.
The people who are finally to pay the
bills and suffer the consequences OF
this legislation that the corporations
demand. have no voice or influence
in preparing the law. No democratic
member of the senate will probably
/ be allowed TO know what the bill
| will call for until the last moment
possible before il is introduced. Thus
ambiguous or obscurely worded Sec
tons. that may conceal provisions
especially favorable TO the bankers,
are the more likely TO escape criti-
cism or amendment. 1t will be re-
membered that the Aldrich bill which
was defeated by the opposition OF
the democrats at the last session by
threatening TO debate it fully, was
introduced late in the session and
was intended to be rushed through
without debate. When the new bill
is introduced a. the opening of the
coming congress. il will be futile for
the democrats to attempt TO filibus-
ter against It successfully. They
may delay its passage by fllly dis
cussing il. but as congress will sit
for probably eight months il will be
impossible to talk the most obnox-
ious bills to death that are brought
forward early in the session.
There is CLEAN Of hope for the
people in the position that it is pos
sible the house of representatives
may take on this important legisla-
ton. There are two factions in that
body. one demanding asset currency
and the other following the lead Of
the senators above mentioned. This
| difference of opinion may lead to .
division and allow. the democrats,
with the help of a few honest re-
publicans. TO defeat any very obnox-
ious legislation. The voters will do
well to let their representatives know
that they are watching this proposed
legislation and mat those who vote
for n bill that is entirely in the in
terest OF the Wall street banks will
not receive their votes when the new
congress is elected next year