The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-08-07
WASHINGTON LETTER.

WASHINGTON LETTER..
Washington, Aug. Especial Cor
respondence-A threat of BUSH
whacking tactics to prevent currency
legislation at this session has been
heard in the senate. Senators Gal
linger of New Hampshire and Bran
dagee of Connecticut, two of the
standpat republican leaders, practi-
cally threatened that unless assur-
ances were given that there would
be no attempt to pass the currency
bill at the present session, the tar
if debate would be prolonged. Demo-
cratic leaders deplored this attitude,
declaring that there should be no
delay over the passage of the tariff
bill, for which the whole country is
anxiously waiting in order to adjust
business to the new tariff. The pol
icy threatened by the republicans of
adding to the uncertainty of the
country by delaying the tariff bill,
merely to head off currency legisla-
ton was roundly censured.
The republican senators know that
they cannot add anything to the
store of information brought out in
discussions of the tariff bills which
have waged for years. They know
that the people demand a reduction
in the tariff and they know they can
not prevent the passage of the bill.
But they can return to their old tao
tics Of resorting to the fillibuster
and to bushwhacking methods in eff
forts to defeat as long as possible
any remedial legislation, no matter
how strong is the demand from the
country for it's passage.
The country for years has de-
manded legislation designed to give
soL,e measure of elasticity to the
currency. President Wilson in force
fully making his plea to congress for
legislation at this session, declared
a revision of the currency laws so as
to make available a large volume of
currency in times of stress and TO
prevent currency control by Wall
street for purposes of manipulation,
was necessary to supplement the tar
if bill. The effort to block currency
legislation by making it an issue of
petty party politics is one which the
democratic leaders believe the coun-
try will not endorse.
Another attack on currency legis-
lation was publicly assailed in an Of
fetal statement from Secretary of
the Treasurery McAdoo, when, in eff
feet, he served notice on the banks
that there will be no more home
made panics engineered by Wall
street banking interests for their
financial or political gain. An effort
to make political capital of the fact
that government 2 per cent bonds
were selling below par acted as a
boomerang when Secretary McAdoo
made the direct charge that the
bonds had been deliberately depress-
ed by the big banking interests, such
depression being calculated to stir
opposition to the administration s
currency measure. The secretary's
statement contained this significant
paragraph:
There is not going to be any fin
ancial trouble. The large crops now
in prospect are going to be moved
without any difficulty. And the
powers of the department will be ex-
ercised in their greatest amplitude
for the protection of the business
interests of the country"
Secretary McAdoo's statement is
illumination following the earlier
statements by President Wilson that
he would make an example OF any
men or interests who attempted to
manipulate the financial situation
for their own gain.
The attack on Attorney General
McReynolds growing out of the post
ponement of the Caminetti-Diggs
case in California proved to be
flash in the pan. Engineered as a
political move the debate in con-
gress brought no political advantage
through the attack on the admins
tration, because the effect had been
discounted by the frank explanation
that the cases had been postponed
temporarily at the request of Secre-
tary of Labor Wilson. He needed
the assistance of immigration Com
missioner Caminetti, father of one
of the defendants, in putting the
new department of Labor on it's feet.
The fact that the cases 60 on trial
this week was an added reason why
the attack failed. 1.
Congressman Pepper of Iowa, who
as chairman of the committee on
postal expenditures, Yields great in
fluence in postofflce affairs, upholds
tu0 Il6uL VI tAc pOSIAAdSICA 6CuOl al
TO lower parcel post rates and in
crease the size of packages, subject
to the approval of the interstate COM
merce commission. The question
arose when Burleson announced
rate reduction and increased the size
limit of the packages from IL to 20
pounds. The senate committee up
held his right to take this step, but
there was talk of new, legislation
giving the congress the rate-fixing
power Congressman Pepper OPP
poses this, declaring that he will, if
necessary, fight for an amendment to
the law specifically giving the post
master general power to lower rates
and increase the efficiency of the SER
vice along lines that experience die
tates, without regard to the wishes
OF congress.
Congressman Connolly Of the third
district was successful in retaining
the Iowa internal revenue collectors
offlce in Dubuque when an effort
was made by Congressman Prouty to-
have it moved to Des Moines,