The Washington times., 1912-08-06
ZEAL OF PURPOSE
MARKS CONVENTION
Delegates Have Taken Their Lives In Their Hands, and
Are Earnest Men and Women Working
for Cause.
BY JUDsoN c. wELLIvER.

the currency and banking questions TO
know how the Aldrich plan ought to be
modified to make 1t safe.
Oppose AIdrich Plan.
The truth is that this convention is.
In this regard, In exactly the same po-
sition that the June gatherings We're
There Is here. as there was In them, a
profound prejudice against the Aidrich
plan, or anything that can possibly
be suspected of carrying out the gem
eral purposes Of Aldrich. That Is chief
ly because OF the intense prejudice
against Aldrich personally. There has
been no alternative brought forward
In any convention that does much more
than dodge the question. Not to IN
dorse Aldrich is here, as at the other
conventions. the first basic proposition.
What to ask for, what to pledge the
Ing and money systems. nobody knows.
1t Is the hardest proposition that has
come before any resolutions committee
exactly the same position on this issue
It's afraid to pass an "Aldrich bill, /"
and yet there Is nobody with expert
knowledge enough to formulate an
other measure. Moreover, the Aldrich
plan represents more Of what the ma
Jority Of would-be currency reformers
want than anythin & else, Nobody
seems able even to start getting UP a
plan without borrowing big part OF
the essentials of AIdrich's.
II Aldrich's currency plan had been
invented and fathered by Bristow. or
Poindexter, or Luke Lea, It's good
guess that there would be no preju-
dice di against II ana If, being invented
additional political advantage of being
opposed by Aldrich, Cannon, and Taft
why, nothing would stop 1t.
Cut Down to Space.
When the resolutions committee re-
cessed after midnight last night, the
roll Of typewritten sheets under con-
sideration looked about the size of a
Britannica volume of the India paper
edition. and the people who were ex-
pected to perform the literary surg
cry of getting 1t down to fighting
weight were in a condition Of daze.
Frank Heney. Clifford Pinchot, James
r. Garfield. Charleyf Mccarthy, c
Madison, Dean Lewis of the Pennsyl-
vania University. Chester Rowell,
the California newspaper man who is
expected one dav to be a Senator from
that State, and Dr. Kirchway, of CO.
lumbia, were working in the effort
to get together on a draft that should
| fill the bill. and they admitted tina
1t was slow business.
The tariff plank has not been easy
and no more has the one regarding
trusts. combinations. and the Sherman
act. As TO this latter. there is a fun
damental difference between thoac
who still believe that competition can
and must be preserved as the real
controlling factor, and the others who
Insist that regulation must be sub
| stituted. while making either size OF
monopolistic control no test of the
goodness or badness of a combination.
The Prcgressives in Congress have
generally stood for the idea of main
tanning. protecting, and promoting
competition: they want regulation OF
capitalization. organization, methods
and the like. but anything which 50 :
Nors of price-fxing, or that implies
| the possibility of one day coming to
! that end. Is abhorrent to them.