The Yale expositor., 1913-06-12
PRESIDENT coNsULTs NOTED EX
PERT REGARDING REFORM
IN THE CURRENCY.
GIVES SUBJECT CLOSE STUDY
Financial Reform VIII Be Made a
Party Measure and Put Through
Much as the Chief Executive
Wants II.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

|
more noted OF the financial experts of
the country on the subject of currency
reform. He has learned that most OF
the leaders OF the Democracy in con-
gress have come pretty close 70 an
agreement as to the principles which
should govern in trying to solve salts
factorily the currency reform problem
In his message to congress on the
subject it will be found that the pres
ident has definite ideas of his own
on the financial subject, and that these
thoughts OF his will be nodded with
those of the party leaders and the
| finance experts into what Mr.. Wilson
thinks will be a proper measure to
meet the requirements of the national
occasion.
IL seems to be taken for granted in
Washington that the currency bill will
cause more debate even than the tar
III bill. for past experience has shown
that In dealing with anything concern
ing finances there are about as many
views as there are men in both houses
of congress. Currency, however, will
be put through the house under rule
limiting debate, while over in the
senate it must, like other bills, run
the gauntlet Of long discussion.
President Studies Hard.
II has taken the president some
time to get into compact form his
views on the currency problem He
| NJ do IF CT nd
tariff to reinforce the knowledge he
had accumulated on the subject
through his lifetime OF study. The
tariff study no sooner through than
he took up the currency, and side by
side with the currency lie began study
ing the Panama canal tolls question,
with a view to determining if his first
thought on the matter that our coast
wise vessels should be admitted 10 the
canal toll free. possibly might not be
erroneous
With the study of these two sub
| jects he had to dig into the California
Japanese controversy, and it took all
OF his time, and perhaps some of his
! strength. TO arrive at conclusions.
! Washington people say that burning
! the midnight OIL when he was a
boy for the purpose Of acquiring
knowledge has fortified Mr. Wilson to
continue to burn the oil now that he
is president.
Not long ago on the free tolls ques
ton the president said some things
which made il appear he held the view
! that this country owed a duty to Its
treaty obligations, or supposed obliga-
tons Instantly it was taken for
granted that he agreed with Elihu
Root and some other men not OF his
own party on the subject. A change
OF mind may come TO him, for he has
admitted that in this international af-
| fair, which may bring minor troubles
| in its wake, he has tried to keep an
open mind until the last argument on
each side has been advanced and I'M
til he has been given time to think on
the subject deeply.
From everything that Mr.. Wilson
says in his rather intimate talks with
! Washington newspaper men, one thing
stands out prominently. He has been
at il" in hard study of pretty nearly
everything which has come before
his administration for action. His
| friends say that he knows when he
has studied enough and that he also
knows when worthy argument, pro
and con. have been ended. The par
| ticularly sharp" thing about this
study and argument.hearing habit of
Mr.. Wilson is sharp" seemingly to
senators and representatives who are
after patronage.
With the offce-Seekers.
In the washington opinion, Mr.. Will
son, in most of the ohlce-seeking cases
which he already has decided, has
| given decisions with comparatively lis
tie regard TO the feelings of the men
who were aligned on the side which
did not appear to him TO have great
weight for it's pleas for preference.
Party men say that in some instances
the administration may have hurt IT,
self temporarily in cases like this, but
| from what one can Judge from what
the president himself says about these
things indirectly, there seems to be
! little fear in his mind that he is go
ing to hurt himself when he says his
| final word on the form which legisla-
ton should take, or what should be
done in cases like that OF canal tolls
which occupies a somewhat higher
plane than that on which mere legis-
| lation rests.
old Lines Are Broken.
There is not in congress today In
| either house one man of any party
who does not claim that he is a pro
gressive, or perhaps ii were better to
say progressive without the adjective
"a" before II, because there is a new
Progressive party and any man Of
another party who would say directly
that he is a progressive might be mis-
understood. In fact, when congress-
men do speak Of their being pro
gressive. unless they are members OF a
party Of that name, they usually
couple their words with an explara-
ton that while progressive they are
not Progressives.