The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-01-26
SPEAKER CANNON
SMOOTHING WAY
FOR ALDRICH BILL
Thought He Viii Succeed
Despite the Western
Opposition.
Adroitly Steering Meas
ure Over Dangerous
Committee Shoals.

That Chairman Fowler. Of the House
Committee or Banking and Currency,
Will be absolutely disregarded in the
enactment Of currency legislation Dy
the House, and that the Aldrich bill
will be Put through the House If the
! Speaker can put it through. are two
facts which became known last evening.
There seems TO be little doubt that the
Speaker will carry his point and have
the bill passed, although opposition u
it among Western members has become
| pronounced.
Unless Mr.. Fowler I1uuckles down and
indOrses the AIdrioh bill, he and his
/ committee will be "ditcLed." They will
not be allowed TO have a say on what
! bill shall be passed by the House
| Regarding the manner in which this
/ Oriental 'llib osh1 viii be handed 10 Mr..
/ Fowler, there is as yet some uncertain
! ty. It has been said. on what seemed
/ good authority, that the Speaker will 90
/ over the head OF the Currency Committee
and refer the AIdTich measure 20 the
/ Committee on ways and Means; that
this committee will report il IavOrably.
and that 1t viii go through the House
in smooth shape.
/ But another suggestion has been made
/ that the Speaker. disliking 10 punish
Fowler any more than Is necessary, viii
submit the whole question OF finance
| legislation TO a Republican caucus and
have the caucus indorse the AldTich bill
Whether the Committee on ways and
Means or the caucus be chosen as the
channel through which the bill shall
pass, so as to compel mr.. Fowler -
keep his hands out Of the currency stu
alton, the Speaker is determined that
the main thing is to keep the bin as far
as possible from the Currency Commit
tee He has not that sure control Of
this committee which he could have
had II he had cared 10 frame the com
mittee with view to dominating 81.
Therefore, in the only eXigency in which
it cclId do something, he is taking no
chances. He is disregarding it
Il is understood that Mr. Cannon Is
willing 10 have the AIdrich measure
amended 50 as 10 take out of It the
railroad bonds section. This viii prob
ably be done in the Committee on Ways
ana Means, or in the caucus. II has
beer a long time since the Speaker
failed 70 get through any measure which
he took the trouble to favor in earnest.
! Although the opposition TO this biz is
emphatic among the WusterneTs, il now
! seems improbable that they can head
il Of
The party organization OF the RepuJ-
licans in the House Is about as good az
it ever was, and what the Speaker says
goes with a big majority OF them.
The opposition to the Aldrich bill. as
well as 10 the Fowler measure, is strong
in the West because Of the belief there
that both plans favor the Eastern sec
tion Of the country as against the West
ern. Senator Norris Brown OF Nebraska
received a letter yesterday from II. II.
Bushnell. Of Lincoln, president Of the
Nebraska association of commercial
clubs, which set forth this opposition
/ clearly.
the letter said:
My dear Senator: Replying to yours
OF the 18th instant relative 10 the views
Of commercial club members and bust
ness men in this State on the merits Of
the Aidrich bill and the Fowler bill.
do not think there is any sentiment
favorable TO either. I have yet to find
one advocate of the AldriCh bill. and
! personally I believe it 10 be everything
! except that which the people want in
the way of financial legislation. I have
yet to find a banker who does not look
upon il as a sectional measure. one
which. if II conferred any real benefits.
would not apply at all TO the West Il
| appeals tC me as q bill for the benefit
Of New York city banks intended 10
| make them alone benehciaries for rea-
sons so well understood among bank
ers as not TO require elaboration in this
| letter.
| There Is unquestionably more merit
| in the Fowler bill, and IL is so expressed
/ | freely by those informed on the two
| measures; but this bill is so far from
/ what the great majority of the people
/ IN the state want, if we have financial
/ legislation, that 1t viii never command
much cordial support here. II there is
| 10 be legislation primarily TO meet the
I | opinions Of the banking world, 10 an
| | swer the demands Of those behind the
counter instead of the depositors before
/ the counter, I belie.e the bankers them
/ ! selves through their national Organiza-
| ton could frame a much more salts
/ | factory measure, DO n for the banking
l Interests and business interests than
/ either the Aldrich or Fowler bills @"