Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-09-21
Washington Bureau of
The Ottumwa Courier
WAshinRton. D. @. Slant 1

The campaign Of education in favor
OF government bank OF issue is
fairly started. 1t Is going to be q long
pull, in the opinion even Of the most
enthusiastic advocates Of this settle
ment of the currency question:; but
they are taking hold Of 1t with real
enthusiasm, and for a year past they
have insisted that public opinion has
been veering strongly in their direc-
ton.
There is widespread opinion that
the most serious prejudice against
the central bank plan is based on the
fact that Senator Aldrich Is its fore
prejudice or no prejudice. Aldricn
does things. His tariff bill has been
subjected to most bitter criticism,
but it is the law of the land He got
what he wanted Can he do the same
with the central bank proposal?
In congress, SO far as the machinery
is concerned the ways have been
cleared for the program. The house
committee on banking and currency
is headed by Mr.. Vreeland, who has
recently made an address committing
himself to the plan of currency reform.
The senate finance committee is dom
mated by Aldrich. The Monetary Com
mission likewise is an Aldrich board,
and the most important part of its
work in Europe last summer was the
investigation of the great banks of is
sue, especially the Imperial German
Bank, which is the Aldrich ideal Of
such an institution.
President Taft's views on this sub
ject have been curiously undeveloped,
so far as concerns his public utter
ances. Little IS known of his prelilec-
ton save that he strongly favors cur
rency reform. He has said this on
many occasions. Within a few weeks
before his Inauguration, and after his
election, in the course of CONVERSE
tons, he declared himself firmly of
the belief that currency reform, which
should place the money system on a
safe and scientific basis, was to be
one of the most important efforts of
his administration He did not at that
time go into any details as to the plan
he would favor. If he has any preju-
dices for or against the government
bank idea, they have been commune
Gated to very few people.
Protagonists Of the central bank
plan are very much pleased with the
evidences which they claim to have
noted of more friendly public opin-
ion toward their project. 1t is but a
few years ago since the Democratic
party was almost solidly opposed to
such an idea, and west of the Allie
{. hn
Democrats alike regarded it as ana
thema. Today there is at least toler-
ance of the proposal, though it is
doubted whether the middle west
would yet give an Endorsement to it if
a campaign could be made squarely
on the issue.
Students of the political features in
this situation have been advancing the
late the highly interesting suggestion
that if the Aldrich-Cannon comDina-
ton which passed the tariff bill can
be held together for the purpose of
dominating the action of congress on
currency reform, it would be strong
enough to force through a central
bank measure. That tariff combination
included the east and the far west,
with as much middle western support
as could be held in line; the south,
and the radicals of the midwest,
were outside. 1t is now declared that
a very similar lineup Is likely to be
formed on currency reform. The
Democratic south is expected to be in
the main loyal to the view Of Andrew
Jackson. who DESTROYED one Bank CT
the United States. The east and the
far west are counted upon to support
Aldrich. The middle west will be the
doubtful country.
This uncertainty about the middle
west is based on two conditions. One