The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-29
Reported He Will Make I'm
portant Concession to
Help Its Passage.
FOWLER BILL REPORTED,
BUT CHANCES NOT GOOD
Much Doubt Felt as to Whether
House Will Adopt the Aldrich
Act Without Materially
Changing It-Demo-
Gratis Have Hands
Tied.
Times-D Dispatch Bureau.
Mu1sey Building.
washington. .. C.. FEB. gs

Muusey Building.
Washington. D. c., Feb. 49,
n L is asserted tonight on high All.
thority that Senator Aldrloh is SO
4 greatly alarmed at the prospect OF
n the defeat OF his currency bill in
the House that before 1t is put on
It's finai rassage In the Senate he will
make at least one important conces-
sion to the opposition. This is no moro
nor less than to allow the bill to be
amended SO as to provide that before a
bank is allowed to issue circulation
against railway bonds the road which
Issues the bonds must submit to a
| physical valuation of its property.
Senator In Toilette has contended BIT
| terlv for this amendment. and Mr..
| Aldrich and the regulars" of the Sem
ate have no less bitterly opposed IL.
| There Is no doubt that the bill could
! be got through the Senate without
an amendment to this effect but it
is very doubtful whether it could be
pushed through the House without 1t.
1t is possible that Mr.. Aldrich may
yield some other points. but 1t is not
known that he has decided to grant
more. There is believed to be no doubt
that he has conceded the point of
physical valuation of properties of rail-
roads whose securities 1t is proposed
to use in securing circulation.
Fowler Bill Reported.
The modified Fowler currency bill
was reported to the House to-day from
the Committee on Banking and Cur
rency. The bill is supported. but only
nominally. by the Republican members
of the committee. The majority mem
bers retain the right to amend the bill
on the floor. 1t is presumed the mi
nority of the committee will report
what is known as the Williams cur
rency bill.
But ls there is not likely tS T,a be nIl mnfh h
on the committee. Representative John
Sharp Williams. the leader of the mi
nority, stated in his currency speech IN
the bill ne had introduced had been
outlined to the minority members of
the committee. and would be supported
by therl. This was rather a strong
statement. Only one of the minority
members of the Committee on banking
and Currency advocates the bill intro
duced by Mr.. Williams.
Leader Tied Democratic Hands.
But the speech of the Democratic
floor leader has placed his followers In
the position of having to support q
measure they do not indorse. Several
of the Democrats of the COMMITTEES have
decided views in opposition to Mr. VIII
l1alnS'S Dill. DuC MS speech, In which
he undertook to speak for them, has
put them in an attitude whore they
cannot voice their .opposition..
It is predicted by, some that there
will be no currency legislation at this
session. 1t is prophesicd that the
House will shoot the Aldrich bill fun
of holes and pass 1t. and that the
Senate will refuse to adopt the House
amendments 1t is believed to be iln-
possible to get the Fowler bill through
tile Senate, were it TO pass the House.
which is regarded as equally inlpossfble
IT is well settled that tho Aldrich bin
cannot be got through the House with
out tho strict enforcement of the ca,i
Gus rule. 1t is not at all settled that
the Republicans will caucus on the
measure.
One of the leading Democratic mem
bers of the House said to-day lie was
strongly in favor OF a conference of
considering the situation as regards
currency legislation and agreeing on a
line of action, without reference to the
declarations of Mr.. Williams that the
minority of the Committee on Banking
and Currency would support his bin.
Mr.. Williams and his friends in the
House have always opposed any suS-
Essflon bo1a od hs aegng
lack of confidence in the leader. IT Is
altogether unlikely that such confer-
ence will be called.
Democrats In Weak Position.
The situation illustrates the weak
leadership of the minority. Here. when
the long expected fight over cur-
rency bin is on, the Democrats of the
House find themselves divided, without
a human soul being able ,s, to say on,
hand what he faVors. There can be
no doubt that Mr., Williams, uninten-
tionally. of course, Is responsive Tor
this condition of affairs He tied the
which are not satisfactory to the DEM
ocratic members OF the Committee on
Banking and Currency. at least' anu
probably are Unsatisfactory 10 ma
jority of the Democrats OF the House.
There is no way out of the trouble
without embarrassment 10 Mr. VIII
liams.
have been the part of wisdom to have
opposed the Aldrieh bill without of-84
fering any substitute They hold that
the Aldrich bill will not relieve IN
the country is suffering, and that "
should be defeated even without some-
thing better being offered in rs stead,
The Denver convention should Indicate
tho attitude of the Democratic party
towards the currency question, say
those who oppose the Democrats or
Congress trying to outline q party
platform few months prior to ma
tional convention of the party.
Mr., Williams says that his bill. which
is being put forward as the Democratic
of the currency puzzle, was
framed a1ter conSuttatlonS Witn MI,
Bryan and several other Democrats. ~
is believed to represent Mr.. Bryan's
ideas,
Report Fowler Bill.
3 The vote In the House Committee on
and Currency on reporting
the Fowler bill was;
AGes-Fowler. New Jersey: Prince.
Powers, Maine; AeMorran,
Weems, Ohio: SlcCrcary,
Waldo. New gorki
Hayes. Calfornias Weeks. aIassaehu-
sstts,{ purey, New York; Gillespse,
Texas.
\ Noes Burton, 4, Ohio; Ollie lanes,
KentnckS; Mckinney, Illinois: Lewis.
Georgia. Crawford, North CAROLINA,
Pennsylyania Polo, louisiana Glass
Virginia. ssae IN,
w. INeeks Iii Voting for the sayor-