The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-12
The Money Trust Inquiry

The New York Times Most readers or the newspaper reports of the House cau- GUS, we imagine, were chiefly interested to learn. not whether there was to be an
 investigation of the money trust or no investigation, but whether MT. Bryan had been sent sprawling again. He was, Tn fact. sent sprawling, and the general joy at his discontinue will go far to ale yiate whatever pain in any quarter may result from the resolve of the House to look into Wall street banking affairs.
 MT. Bryan made no preparations to break his fall He should have been fore would disregard his instructions, but he so presented himself as tot receive the full force of the blow T regard the caucus on the money trust inquiry as a crisis" he said in his telegram to Repre- sentative Henry; tits results will largely affect our chances in the coming cam paign." Bryan insisted upon an investt- gation by a special committee as urged bv Mir. Henry. The House ordered quite otherwise. referring the matter to the
 regular committees on currency, judi ciary, interstate commerce, ana eiec- tions. precisely the thing Mr. Bryan had opposed. If this was indeed a "crisis'
 and if the result of the caucus Will large lv affect democratic chances Tn the cont in.J campaign. what's the use In holding
 an election at all? If MT. Bryan was r;sht democratic chances must nave been
 irretrievably damaged by MT. Under woods triusnh. If it had been half vic-
 .ory a weak compromise leaving the Bry-
 r oo;tators some grains of comfort
 something to boast of. it wouldn't have
 been so bad. But the caucus gave full
 support to MT. Underwood, he had his
 way. The overthrow of Bryan and the Bryan men in the House was complete. MT. Bryan seems to have made dili- gent search for bridges in order to burn them all, as if with intent to do the ut most possible harm to the democratic party should the caucus vote to reject his advice Wall street prefers regular committees" he said, and the House in
 trusted the investigation to regular com
 mittees. So, according to- MT. Bryan, it
 must be true that Wall Street controls the democratic House. If our party" he continued, lis afraid to offend the pow erful financial interests that have fought us since 1896, we cannot expect public confidence" The confidence must have been forfeited by the action of the cau- GUS. Any other view of the matter must
 be based upon the belief that Mir. Bryan acted and spoke like reckless agitator. not desiring a candid inquiry to elicit tho truth, but aiming to set on foot another investigation like that of the Stanley com mittee, an incompetent, scandal monger- ing sensational inquest of no service whatever to the legislator.
 That. in truth, is what MT. Bryan is, and that Is beyond question what MT.
 Bryan desired and intended. So the repu- tation of the House is safe, even though Bryan suffers fresh discredit. MT. Under woods idea of the investigation was set forth when he said
 | The men who composed this committee uhe banking and currency committed are honest and capable men, and I have no doubt will give the entire subject mat lter an able and careful consideration. Whatever remedial legislation is shown to be necessary after the investigation they lwill propose to the House.
 + That is the only worthy and honest pur- lpose of congressional investigations. We 1t1kkt t that the tifvestisatioR to be begun