The Washington herald., 1913-11-28
Forcing Jury on Currency.

There are occasions when a jury,
tired out, sleepy, hungry, and with a
longing for home, will reach some
kind of a verdict, regardless of the
evidence it has heard. Today the most
important jury in the world is trying
a case that affects every business in
terest i'll the United States; members
of that jury have been held for weeks
practically in close confinement, and
every effort from those interested in
having the case decided has been used
to make the members reach conclu-
sion. So far this jury, composed of
representatives of the people, have in
sisted upon hearing all the evidence
they can gather before reaching a de-
cision.
This jury, the Senate Committee on
Finance, now have to sit from 10 TO
daily, and from s to II in the even
ing until the currency bill is passed,
with no Christmas recess save perhaps
on the holiday itself. The members
are to be driven under forced draft,
with no time to hear the arguments
is passed
What would the people of this coun-
try say if such methods were used
10 compel a jury to reach a decision in
one of our civil courts? They GER
tainly would not believe it was for the
best interests of justice. A decision
can be reached under such circum-
stances, but what kind of a decision?
There are now three measures in form
for consideration. There is the bill as
il passed the House, which now has
no friends; there is what is called the
administration bill, reported by Mr..
Owens half of the committee and IA
vored by that Senator, and the bill
prepared by Mr. Hitchcock and the
Republican members of the Senate
committee. Mr.. Hitchcock supported
mis- bill in an able speech on Tuesday,
4 speech that shows how much he has
prohted by the committee hearings.
His bill is the best of the three: for
one reason, because it strikes out the
concession to Organism in respect to
lawful money and provides for note
redemption in gold. But the spirit of
he Democratic conference was that
The Owen administration bill should
De supported. And it is for the pas
sage of this bill that the pressure of
long daily sessions IS to be applied.
The New York Times, in discussing
tllis phase of the situation, says that
The substitution of pressure for candid
discussion, for the iic!I: of reason, and
for deliberate CO.. Iction, is not a we'll
chosen device in currency legislation
Nevertheless, there is abundant room
for hope that the discussion of these
daily. sessions may give a favorable
turn to Senatorial views and convic-
tions. 1t is perhaps as well that the
Senate should give its attention dill
gently TO this subject. Certainly it
would be a great public misfortune if,
after all the light that has come of
hearings and debates, after all the
knowledge that has been gained, not
only in Washington, but throughout
the country, legislation should now
fail. No doubt it is better that legis-
lation should fail than that bad legis-
lation should be had. But we are
confident that no really bad bill can
be put through. The number of
amendments required to eliminate the
remaining badness is really very small.
Even the administration bill, with a
few changes, although they are impor-
tsnt, would be acceptable to bankers
II L.