The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-11-12
WILSON IS Firm
WILL REPUDIATE CURRENCY BILL
If IT Is WEAKENED
MUST Be LEFT ALONE

President is Determined That Senate
Committee Must Not Alter Bill to
Suit Interests-Wants Senate to
Pass 1t in. the Same Form Funda-
mentally as Passed in the House.
The second stage in the fight for
an honest revision Of the banking and
currency laws has been reached. The
Senate committee has been consider
ing the Administration Banking and
Currency bill in secret. Two changes
have been tentatively agreed upon
through a coalition Of Republicans
and Democrats. Many other changes
are scheduled. The changes that
have been agreed upon and the
changes that are proposed will not
be acceptable tt the Administration.
Here Is the way the lines are
drawn: President Wilson and four
Democratic Senators are on one side.
Senator O'Gorman Of New York, Sen
ator Reed of Missouri, and Senator
Hitchcock OF Nebraska, all Demo-
Gratis, have gone over to the Republi-
can camp.
The Senate committee has nomi-
nal Democratic majority Of two.
There are seven Democrats and five
Republicans on the committee. The
test votes that have been taken in
the last week have shown that the
Democratic detection has resulted in
Strengthening the position Of the Re
publicans to such an extent that the
bill may be rewritten completely.
President Wilson is determined
that the Administration bill shall go
through the Senate in the same form
that it passed the House, so far as
fundamentals are concerned. He is
determined that no bill which was
dictated in whole or in part from
Wall Street shall go through Con-
gress under this Administration. He
is determined that the bill when
passed shall wrench another prop
from under the old form Of capitals
tic government. He has been ex-
tremely anxious to have the bill dis
posed Of at this session, but he will
not accept compromises that Vitiate
the bill.
If the Senate committee continues
at the pace it has set, halt will be
called In the consideration Of the bill
and the Democrats of the Senate will
be asked to call a caucus and choose
between the leadership OF the Presi-
dent and the leadership Of the three
Democrats who have gone over to the
Republican ranks. The President
has expressed himself as being ex-
tremely anxious to have the bill pass
ed as a non-partisan measure. He
has also expressed himself as being
willing to shoulder the consequences
Of bill that is passed as a partisan
measure, provided it merits approval.
II the bill IS passed as non-parti-
san measure, it must be passed with
out fundamental changes. The Pres
!dent will not accept non-partisan
measure which has been changed for
the purpose Of attracting Republican
votes that have heretofore been syn
onymous with the big interests. TIE
President has been surprised greatly
by the movements Of Senator Reed
and Senator O'Gorman. Assurances
had been received that they proposed
to follow the party's lead. Little at
tention IS being given to Senator
Hitchcock, because he is expected to
reioin his party colleagues when it
becomes evident that his anti-Admin-
is tration fight is useless.
The changes that have been made
inthe bill thus far and those that are
proposed, with the evident acquiesen-
co Of those Democrats, will not be
acceptable at the White House, be-
cause they are considered as weaking
the measure
The Secretary Of Agriculture and
the Comptroller Of the Currency were
placed on the board of insure strong
governmental representation. Their
presence upon the board is consider
ed high desirable by the Administra-
ton leaders. They were removed
from the board yesterday. The presi-
dent will not accept the measure un-
til they are returned to the board.
The committee spent several hours
discussing the number Of reserve
banks that should be established in
the system. After considerable con-
troversy Chairman Owen offered to
reduce the number from twelve to
ten. Senator Nelson, the ranking Re
publican proposed three. Senator
O'Gorman proposed five. A compro-
mise was reached at four. The comm
lttee did not vote upon the nuuper.
Ten reserve banks Is the lowest
number that the President will &C.
cept. He looks upon this as a funda-
mental fea ture Of the bill, and rather
than compromise he will repudlate
the entire measure. To scatter four
or five reserve banks in several Of the
great centres, ouch as Ney York, Chi
cago, St. Louis and San Francisco,
would not meet the demands of leg
itimate commerce as the President
sees them. He will not accept bill in
which the out lying sections of the
contry are handicapped for the ben
eft Of the powerful and established
business groups.