Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1913-12-27
SENATE PASSES
CURRENCY BILL.

soH'sfees 10 rurry work, That Pres
ident May Sign BY Tuesday at Lat.
est--seven Republicans Help
Hitchcock Fighting Up to the Last
Minute Also Comes over on Final
Test.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 20- The long
and bitter struggle In the senate over
;he currency nill ended last evening
with the passage OF the measure w
. vote Of 81 10 "a, seven Republicans
coming to the support OF measure at
the wind up, and Senator Hitchcock,
Of Nebraska, the only Democrat who
fought the proposed legislation con.
sistently through all its earlier
stages. turning IN at last with his
party and helpsne 10 put il throuka.
The seven Republicans who voted
for the bill we're Crawford and Ster.
In. n South Dakota; Jones and poin-
dexter. OF Washington; Norris, Of Ne.
hraska; Perkins, or California, an,t
Weeks. Of Massachusetts, the last
named being one OF the best inform.
ed men on financial matters on the
Republican side.
His course was surprise to his
party colleagues and he Justified 1t
IN the closing moments OF the debate
by declaring that. while the legisla-
ton was not. In his opinion. all that
Il should be, 1t was distinct i'm
p.uveinent on our present currency
aystem. He said that rs per cent OF
the provisions OF the bill were good
and only 25. per cent Objectionable.
lie expresNed the belief that the good
features OF the measure would shcw
Immediate beneficial results on the
business of the country, and hoped
the effect Of the bad features would
be minimized by wise administration.
Last-Monent Amendment.
At the last moment. when the SEN
ata was ready for the final vote. Sen
ator LaFollette arose and offered two
amendments. the frst Of which was
adopted by the senate and the sec.
ond rejected The former provided
that no member OF the house or SEN
ate should be member OF the Fed
eral Reserve Board or an officer Of
the Regional Reserve or member
banks. His second amendment related
to interlocking directorates, and
was rejected in pursuance OF the
Democratic policy OF dealing with
that subject in separate legislation.
AS soon as the result OF the vote
was announced. the bill was sent to
conference and nine conferees we're
appointed on the part OF the senate.
These conferees, six Democrats and
three Republicans. are Senators Ow-
en-. OGorman, Reed, Pomerene, Shat
roth, Hollis, Nelson. Crawford and
Bristow.
Preparations for the conference be-
tween the two houses are already
far advanced and an outline OF what
each house will give and take Is I'M
derstood to have been sketched out
IN order that the measure may be put
through it's final stages and sent to
the President for his signature at the
earliest feasible moment. To expe.
dfte the conference work, the house
met this morning at 10 o'clock. u
is hoped the conferees can complete
their work by Monday and the bill
20 TO the President by Tuesday. at
the latest. In that event II is ex-
pected congress will take a holiday
recess OF two weeks at least, and
perhaps three weeks. Congressman,
the President and cabinet members
alike are eager for a rest after the
long strain Of the special and regu-
lar sessions.
The passage OF the pil - 7o"'SS
OF profound satisfaction to the Pres
ldent and to Democrats In both
branches OF congress, as It makes y
record for prompt fulfillment OF par
" pledges on questions OF the FIRST
Importance, involving sharp controy-
ersies within the party lines and IN
trlcate problems touching the most
vital interests OF the country. With
in ten months of the beginning OF the
Democratic lease OF power, to have
nut through two such measures as
bin completely revising the tarin
and no less completely recastins the
monetary system Of the country y
....,.4od ~ NV democrats as a record