The Washington times., 1913-06-15
WILSON AND AIDES
SPLIT ON CURRENCY
President, Almost Alone, to
Fight for Reform at Once.
Discord in Cabinet.
Continued from First Page.)

Continued from First Page)
not to go sufficiently far to meet the
views of Secretary Bryan.
There appears to be no open rupture,
but lack of agreement in Administration
circles.
Aside from the difference said to CEN
ter in the vicinity of the White House,
the President has not been unadvised
as TO sentiment in the Senate and
House
More than one Democratic leader has
gone to the White House to tell the
President that there is no demand on
Capitol Hill at this time for action. The
President declines to be pulled off,"
Republican Senators who have sug-
gested through indirect channels that
they will aid in making the currency
bill a non-artisan measure, if the Presi-
dent desires legislation now, have not
yet been called into consultation.
Fears Bank Nomination.
That Mr.. Bryan's name was today
drawn into the story was not unexpect-
ed when one compares the prospective
McAdoo-Glass bill with the speeches of
the Commoner. Mr. Bryan, it is under
stood, believes that there is danger of
bank domination, even with a Federal
board of control to supervise currency
issues. His idea always has been a cur
rency system disassociated from bank
influence.
A speech he delivered in 1896 repre-
sents views somewhat at variance with
those prevailing, according to all re-
ports, in the currency reform bill.
Friends of the Secretary of State say
he has stood for thirty years on this
theory regarding currency and bank
ing; viz:
They say that we are opposing na-
tional bank currency; it is true. If
You will read what Thomas Benton
said you will find that he said that
in searching history he could find but
one parallel to Andrew Jackson; that
was Cicero, who destroyed the con-
spiracy of Cataline and saved Rome.
Benton said that Cicero only did for
Rome what jackson did for US when
he destroyed the bank conspiracy and
saved America
Right to Issue Money.
1--WE say in our platform that we be-
lieve that the right to coin and issue
money is function of government. We
believe it. We believe that 1t is a part
of sovereignty, and can no more with
safety be delegated to private individu-
ais than we could afford to delegate
to private individuals the power to
make penal statutes or levy taxes. Mr..
Jefferson, who was once regarded as
good Democratic authority. seems to
have differed in opinion from the gen.
tleman who has addressed US on the
part of the minority. Those who are
opposed to this proposition tell US that
the issue of paper money is a function
of the bank, and that the Government
ought to go out of the banking BUSH
ness. / stand with Jefferson rather
than with them, and tell them, as he
did, that the issue on money is func-
ton of government, and that the banks
ought to go out Of the governing busi-
ness.
II is not contended that the views of
Mr.. Bryan are fraught with possibilities
of a split in the Cabinet The dissen-
sion is more likely to come at the
Capitol proper, where legislators are in
no mood now to get together on cur
rency. Mr.. Bryan's ideas are merely
set forth by his friends to show that
there is wide diversity of opinion In the
party on an issue which is loaded with
trouble.
Here is the situation at the House.
where the currency bill will first see
the light:
Committee Is Divided.
The Banking and Currency Committee
is about evenly divided on the issue of
asset currency, which means a redis- |
counting of commercial paper for note
issues.
The Banking and Currency Committee