The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1913-09-18
President Woodrow Wilson is fac


President Woodrow Wilson is fac
Ing the test of his career as a states
man able to put through constructive
legislation, and his ability or inability
10 hold the senate together and pass
Inc Glass-Owen currency bill will ma
1crially increase or lessen his pres
iige. This is the view of the situa
ton at Washington, as brought back
today by Joseph Chapman, member OF
The committee appointed at the recent
Chicago conference Of bankers to lay
before the senate finance committee
the objections Of bankers to certain
features of the pending bill.
'Not only is the currency bill so
important in ITSELF" Mr.. Chapman
said but as it stands it makes the
most interesting feature in the poll
tics of the country
1.-The bankers have made it clear
beyond all doubt that they want the
hill passed; not because they think it
a perfect bill or becau-e it is such a
bill as bankers would themselves
draw, but because they want the mat
ter disposed of. President Wilson
wants it passed. Not only does he
want it passed because he is believer
in it, but it is an open secret in Wash
ington that he is ambitious to point to
something big done at this session.
''Now comes the rise of sentiment
favorinS postponement on the ground
that, because Of the bills Importance
more time is needed properly to edu
cate the people. l became convinced
that this sentiment is gaining ground
That it will reach proportions that
will make it impossible for the presi-
dent to hold the senate in line for the
bill, l am not prepared to say. 1t does
not come from the bankers. 1t is a
matter of politics in Washington. If
Wilson puts through this currency
bill, he and his administration will be
credited with having given the coun-
try the most important legislation in
twenty years.
when the committee got to Wash
ington we found that some additional
changes in the BILL in line with what
the bankers asked for, hau Deen made.
Important modification of the reserve
Feature was one, and another was in
me part calling for segregation O.
savings deposits in national banks,
Which was wholly eliminated.
Senator Robert L. Owen is earnest
in his work, and somewhat inclined to
be sensitive about criticism Of the bill.
Undoubtedly the senate committee has
the sincere purpose Of giving the
country currency bill that will be
for the best interests of everyone.
Senator Knute Nelson, who is a men,
Der of the finance committee, assured
us that the committee is willing to
make any concessions that are for the
general good.
"In Washington both republican and
democratic senator's are more and
more talking Of how their constituency
feels and saying they are getting sug-
gestions from prominent business men
at home that the matter be put over
from this session.
1T is up to President Wilson. To
this time he has shown " oncerful pow
er. Everybody expects that if the SEN
iiment favoring postponement reaches
proportions where it constitutes an op-
position he will reiterate in no uncer-
tain terms that he wants the bill
passed. It is the big issue with him."
General confidence in the stability
of commercial conditions is reflected
jim Washington, Mr.. Chapman said.
There is much talk of the west and
The development going on. Washing
ton believes in the west as the great
cs. rrosperity-producing portion OF the
country. The administration wants
no disturbance of any kind this fall.
Hence the action Of Secretary of the
Treasury William McAdoo in antici-
pating crop demands for money.
But the big talk today in Washing
TON is Of Wilson and his ambition to
DO something big" Mr.. Chapman add
ed, "The passage of the currency bill
Will be, in it's way, the biggest thing
any president has done for long time
Postponement would lessen the BELIEF
Of the people in his power to do
things for the country's advance.
Iaent" minneapolis Journal.
If man had to pitch ton of hay