The Washington times., 1913-01-23
DEMOCRATS
TO TACKLE reform
OF US. CURRENCY
Leaders Predict That Special
Session viii Undertake I'm
portant Task.

Currency legislation is going to be
passed by Congress early in the VIII
son Administration in all probability.
Moreover. il is not at all unlikely that
II will be disposed of at the special ses-
sion.
That Governor Wilson wants the cur
rency question, the trust question ana
the tariff question disposed Of at the
special session If possible is known here
He has not yet reached the point OF
saying these things must be disposed OF
hut # is likely to come to that The
0Fif revision will come as a matter OF
course.
Governor Wilson, moreover, has a
distinct notion of the great Importance
of solving the currency question and
not having that dragging along to
trouble him. His disposition az to trust
and corporation matters is indicated in
recent speeches and In the bills submit
ted to the New Jersey legislature.
More Than Tariff At Stake.
Nobody need be surprised. therefore,
IL the special session which is coming
Insxt spring resolves itself into a session
Of much more than tariff Importance.
Moreover, it is likely to last through
the summer. If the currency question
is disposed of in addition to the tariff.
even IL the trust and corporation prob
lem is not tackled, Congress viii be
here most of the summer
Some important reasons appear why
Governor Wilson should desire to have
the currency question out of the way.
In the first place, the emergency cur
rency measure will last only until June
%. 1874 1t could, of course, Deextended
but il is a patchwork and makeshift
at best.
Neither Governor Wilson nor the
Democratic leaders are unaware of the
talk that IL there is genuine tariff re-
vision or radical legislation on the
trusts. there are going to be financial
disturbances. II may or may not be
necessary To meet these. but It is a
certainty that IL the banking and cur
.rency system were reformed on a sound
basis. the talk OF such disturbances
could be pretty completely discounted.
Great Opportunity Ahead.
Nor can Governor Wilson be unaware
or the fact that a great opportunity
lies ahead of his Administration and the
Democratic party to achieve new and
comprehensive banking and currency
Legislation. For decades the country
has been talking about 1t. Congress has
long been agitated about it, but has
made little progress toward It, For Mr..
Wilson TO take hold of the question,
exert his influence to shape up a plan
that would meet the approval of the
country for years to come, and remove
an embarrassing legislative subject from
under the heels of Congress, would be
an accomplishment worth while.
Il will not be an easy matter 10 get
currency legislation at the extra ses-
sion. but for that matter 1t viii not be
sasy 10 get II at any time. The excuse
for not taking II UP at the extra session
usually heard is that Congress needs
more time to study 1t, to think 1t over.
This. as matter of fact, is no excuse
at all Comparatively few men IN Com
gress ever have or ever VIII give SUD
stantial study to banking and currency
reform The men who are going to
actually deal with the question, to
shape the legislation, will be as ready
10 do it next summer as they would be
a year later.
Oppose Aldrich Measure.
The Democratic members of Con-
rress as a body have no scheme Of
banking and currency legislation
thought out or defined. Most of them.
mot all, are opposed to the Aldrich cur
lrencv measure. and most of them can't
tell why except that the name of-Aid-
rich is attached to ii, and they are sus-
picious that it means more centraliza-
ton of the moneys and credits Of the
country.
Governor Wilson, it is asserted here,
does not expect to have much trouble
with Congress. He expects Congress
10 pass the essentials of the legislation
he wants. But he doubtless knows he
will have more influence with Congress
at tie beginning of his Administration
than at the middle or end of 1t.
This is a reason why he would be
much more likely TO get the trust and
currency and tariff legislation he seeks
at the session next. spring and summer
than later. especially as he is going
TO hold back most of his important ap-
pointments until he sees how Democrats
In Congress will perform on the legts-