The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1908-03-05
WASHINGTON
From our Regular Correspondent.

Washington, d. c., March 2, 1908.
Rarely has the supreme power of
the Speaker of the House, under
Reed rules, been more clearly dem
onstrated than it promises to be
when the Aldrich financial bill goes
over to the House. There seems to
be little doubt that very consider
able majority of the House earnest
ly and conscientiously opposes the
bill. Ii is probably true, too, that
q considerable majority favors tie
Fowler measure, which in Theory
and principle is the antithesis of
the Aldrich measure. Despite this
situation, however. Mr.. Cannon
comes over to the Senate at frequent
intervals and assures the author of
the Senate measure that he need
have no anxiety as he, Cannon,
will "whip the insurgents into line
and make them vote for the AL
drich bill"
*.*
Another striking instance of the
Speakers autocracy is to be found
in his opposition to the Appalachian
and the White Mountain forest re-
serves. There are no Republican
votes to speak of in the vicinity of
the proposed Appalachian reserve
and therefore the Speaker has caus-
ed it to be referred to the Judiciary
Committee, with view to prevent
ing any action whatever. For a
time Mr.. Cannon was rather more
favorable to the White Mountain
proposition. He has opposed this
for years, but recently it was point
ed out to him that it would be i'm
possible to secure any Cannon dele
gates in New England if he contin-
ued his opposition, and he appeared
temporarily to relent. Now that it
is becoming daily more obvious that
there will be no Cannon delegates
from New England, anyway, there
is resuscitation of the Speakers op-
position.
***
The Democrats in the Senate are
not presenting as forceful an oppo-
sition to the Aldrich bill as they
might if they would only get to-
gether. AS matters now stand,
Senator'S Bailey, and Owen of Ok
lahoma, stand for a bond secured
currency, while majority of Dem
ocratic Senators are opposed to this
form of circulation. Of course were
the Democrats to present united
front their opposition would be
more effective, especially as the Re-
publicans are not a unit in its sup
port. Another radical difference
between Democrats is that regard
ing bank reserves. Senator Johns
ton has introduced an amendment
which will have considerable Dem
ocratic support and will doubtless
be adopted, providing that national
banks must retain two-thirds of
their reserves in their own vaults
but one-half of this fraction may be
N the securities enumerated in the
Aldrich bill. On the other hand,
Senator Taliaferro, of Florida, is
violently opposed to this measure.
Numerous Democrats are in favor
of the Nelson amendment guaran-
teeing all depositors in national
banks against loss which is policy
advocated by Mr.. Bryan, but on
the other hand, Senator Paynter of
Kentucky is earnestly opposed to
this provision and will make a
speech against it. Were the Dem
ocrats solidly for it they could prob
ably attach it to the bill, as they
would receive considerable help
from the Republicans.
T4*
The outcome of the Brownsville |
Investigation demonstrates to a
striking degree the evil resulting
from the enfranchisement of the
negroes. 1t is probably a safe as
sertion that no Senator who heard |
The evidence against the negro SOL
iers of the 25th Infantry doubts