The Caucasian., 1913-03-18

Problem, Currency Question involves
Various Contentious, and Leaders
Hesitate to Tackle it-Fitzgerald
Had m Luck In Seeking Economy.
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.
Washington, March 17.-tSpecial.]- j
President Wilson is anxious to have
currency legislation considered at the
extra session, but will not push it If it
| interferes with the tariff. The tariff
| first Of all,'' is the slogan of the Demo
Gratis, and President Wilson is In line
with them. At the same time he will
| keep watch of things, and If there Is
| possible way of having currency legis-
| lation considered he will urge 1t In q
special message. s.....
| One great difficulty about currency
| legislation is that there are so many
diverse views on the subject. The
Democrats are pretty well divided on
the tariff, but there are only two sides
to that question, up and down, SO to
speak, while there are more angles to
the currency problem than can be
found in a geometry. There are all
! kinds of quirks and ideas about the
currency, and so many men have diff
| ferent ideas that the leaders In con-
gress will hesitate to tackle the Ques-
ton. Still if the president sends a
special message to congress urging ac.
ton something will have to be done.
"Fitz" and Economy.
| Chairman Fitzgerald Of the house
committee on appropriations started
out to give the country an economical
| administration-to reduce expenditures
and. cut down appropriations, to carry
I out the promises made in various Dem
ocratic platforms and many Demo
| cratic speeches, am sorry for Fftz.
| His. party ran away with him. 1t
spent more money than any previous
congress and constructed two less bat
| tleships for the navy.
| AS watchdog" Fitz has been
canned" Congress disregarded him
and spent money for such purposes as
suited it, But Fitz is not entirely
discouraged He thinks that an in
come tax will show the country how
| it has to pay the piper for all these
expenditures.
| The Difference.
Congressman Garrett Of Tennessee
explains why congress is extravagant
| He says that the man in the state leg
| islature from his district is met by
| his constituents with glittering eyes
when he returns from Nashville, and
they ask him, "How much did you
spend?'' $50
when I as congressman return"
he says, 81 am met by the same con-
stituents, the same .glittering eyes,
and they ask me, How much did you
getY They look upon expenditures
from the federal treasury as so much
of federal gift while state expendi-
lures mean actual taxes"
4 No Real Economist.
In a score of years I have heard
much preaching about economy, but /
have never known real economist,
one who was willing to sacrifice his
own interests, his own state, his own
district and his own friends for the
benefit of the public good. Hundreds
Of commissions have been created.
junkets innumerable have been organ
ized, Offices have been provided, jobs
invented-in fact, everything has been
done for friends of men in Office, for
themselves and their relatives. Graft
extends to the national capital just as
it does to other sections Of the coun
try and to municipal affairs
Recalls Similar Happening.
1t is rather curious that the defeat
of Senator Bacon of Georgia for pres
fdent pro tenn, of the senate should be
similar to that of the late Senator
Hoar of Massachusetts many years
ago. Everybody supposed that. Hoar
was to be selected, but when the Re-
publican caucus was held Manderson
Of Nebraska was chosen
1t was surprise and was explained
as being due to the admission of sew
eral new western states and the fight
Of the west against the east. But the
fact was that Senator Hoar was not
popular among his fellow senators.
while Manderson had as many friends
as there were members of the senate.
Wilson'S Influence.
There. was little doubt among men,
bers of the house in the session just
closed but that letter from Governor
Wilson, not then president, stopped
the battleship program of those who
wanted two ships. This letter was
written to Chairman Fitzgerald and
was passed around among the Demo
Gratis. The two hattleship men said
that 1t cost them at least forty votes
on the Democratic side
Out of the Running.
President Wilson'S notice to men
wanting places in the diplomatic serv-
ice to see Secretary Bryan first put
quite a number. out of the running.
These were Democrats who did not
support Mr.. Bryan at different times