Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-16
MAKEMEMBERSLAUCH
Alfred o. Crozier Says He Has
Discovered a Plot.
ACCUSES THE BANKERS
Charges Insincerity in Opposing the
Aldlich Bill.
TELLS HOW HE FOUND IT OUT
Committeeman Are Not Inclined to
Take the Allegations Of the
Speaker Seriously.
ACCUSES THE BANKERS
TELLS HOW HE FOUND IT OUT

The House committee on banking and
currency. ordinarily n profoundly serious
minded body. ha d the giggles today. This.
rema rkable in itself. IS made even more
SO by the fact that the Aldrich currency
bill not generally considered a nlirth-
producing measure. was under discussion.
Twas an outsider that stirred the risihili-
ties of the committee.
Alfred o. Crozier of Wilmington. Del,
who looked for all the world like an ideal.
iZation of John Storm in Hall Gaines
famous novel THE Christian and who
described himself as being "a lawyer. man
ufacturer editor and other foolish things"
appeared before the committee this morn
ing and laid bare g. plot Mr.. Crozier
claimed TO have discovered a. deep-laid
conspiracy among the members of the
American Bankers Association, who ap.
peared before the committee yesterday
in opposition TO the Aldrich hill merely
as bluff. and that in reality they favored
the Aldrich measure with lower per cent
of interest.
They fought the bill on principle they
said" cried Mr.. Crozier to the committee.
'"rheir talk sounded so earnest IN oppo-
sition we thought surely they would stand
without being hitched. But. 10. and be-
hold. last evening our distinguished bank
ing friends held a conference. Today they
are having another with the wicked pro-
moters of the wicked Aldrich and Free-
land bills
A Question of Per Cent.
Mr. Crozier then declared that the OBJ"
jecf of the conference was just a simple
little amendment reducing the tax in sur
plus circulation TO per cent from 6.
Why" he asked the committee.
should this convert the distinguished
fighters for principle. and make them
willing to brave the dangers of the pan
les they solsmnly told you the passage OF
any emergency currency bill would cause?
Profit! Just simply profit! Only about 1
per cent-but that is profit. What nose
for profit some even great bankers have!
What will they not do for It? Nineteen
hundred years ago the price was thirty
pieces of silver. Now II is l per cent.
This sale of loudly advertised virtue ana
principle. if consummated will be alike
discreditable to the great banking inter
ests and to the political agents OF Wall
street who bought them for per cent.
About this time the committee began
to sit up and take notice and to smile
audibly at intervals. Representative
Waldo of New York seemed to consider
the proceedings particularly amusing.
Called down by the baieful eye of Chair
maan Fowler of New Jersey. he suosided
somewhat. with the corner or hand
kerchief stuffed In his mouth. Mr.. Cro-
zier didn't seem to mind. He went right
ahead and told the committee how he
unearthed the plot-by accident.
Discovered by Accident.
"If this committee had not honored ms
with this opportunity to speak at this
and ~
one of the distinguished bankers who ad-
dressed you yesterday had not mistaken
me last evening for one of their fra
ternity and unreservedly told me the
whole program. the trick would have been
turned quickly and suddenly. The busi-
ness interests of the country might not
have known that they had been sold out
by their banking partners and even this
committee might. not in time have be-
come aware that the great men who ap-
peared here against the bill. openly. were
in fact favoring it privately, all for the
price of l per cent
Mr. CroZier then proceeded to denounce
I'm unmeasured terms Wall street and all
It's alleged evils. with particular refer
ence to the great money kings of Amer
lea.
Dangerous Power.
at is DANGEROUS" he cried. when the
mere nod of one or two men III times
like these can arbitrarily increase the
price of meat throughout the country 10
$4,000 coo of people. 1t is dangerous when
the spectators in wheat and other crops
of the soil have the power TO gamble the
prices down until the producers have SOLO
10 them and then TO gamble the prices up
until they have closed out TO the con-
SumerS of the country.
1T is dangerous TO permit these con-
ditions to breed panicS when we know
that the natural. logical and inevitable
result will be embeZzlement, larceny. sui
eide murder and other crime almost
wholesale A recent report shows that
the sudden increase of insanity among
the citizens of New York. the state that
gets four millions year for its gambling
privileges. is appalling and alarming,
due 10 the conditions created by the
recent panic. that all the asylums of that
state are unequal to the extra demand.
and new institutions must be at once
erected.
At this point Mr.. Waldo broke out
again with loud outlaws and the other
members of the committee. although
somewhat more courteous than the MEM
ber from New York. showed very plainly
that they were having a good time even
if they did decline TO take Mr.. Crozier
seriously.
Denounces the Aldrich Bill.
But Mr.. Crozier steamed right ahead
until he had finished reading to the COM
nittee his typewriter statement OF
thirtyodd pages or so. In closing re
denounced the Aldrich bill generally and
spt cifically. and said he could see no
reason why an effort was being made to
put 1T through. unless some persons
high in the councils of our party have
made secret pledge to the masters OF
Wall street to put this Legislation through
and give its dangerous powers to the
special interests in exchange for the sup
port of the malefactorS in the coming
national campaign. Every patriotic citi-
zen will hope that no such unholy anc
dscreditable bargain has been made and
that in the final test the members or the
ma iority party will listen to the all but
universal demand of the people OF the
entire. United States. and will defeat both
the Aldrich and Nfeeland bills over.