The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1913-05-13
PRESIDENT coNsULTs NOTED Elk
:. 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 It.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

more noted or 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 to 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
1dent has definite ideas of his own
on the financial subject, aad 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 proper measure to
| meet the requirements of the national
occasion.
1t seems to be taken for granted in
Washington that the currency bill will
cause more debate even than the tar
| if 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 made a party measure and it 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.
1t has taken the president some
time to get into compact form his
views on the currency problem. He
underwent a course of study on the
I 70 riff m inf fhn hn
| 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 he began study
| ing the Panama canal tolls question,
with view to determining if his first
| thought on the matter that our coast
wise vessels should be admitted to 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 1t 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
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 it appear he held the view
that this country owed 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 IN
| 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
lat it" 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
ticulariy 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 Office-Seekers.
In the Washington opinion, Mr. Will
son, in most of the office-seeking cases
which he already has decided, has
given decisions with comparatively lit
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
ton should take, or what should be
done in cases like that of canal tolls
which occupies somewhat higher
plane than that on which mere legis- 4
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 pro-
gressive, or perhaps it were better to
say progressive without the adjective
"a" before it, because there is 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
party Of that name, they usually
couple their words with an explana-
ton that while progressive they are
not Progressives.
Senators and representatives when |
~