Evening star., 1933-12-25

Now that there are silver threads
among the gold, monetary matters Will
prance into the congressional hmenght
next week, and hold it to degree
hitherto unexpected. They may easily
supplant revenue, liquor and recovery
as the paramount issue. The Seventy
third Congress, therefore, may take It's
place in history alongside the Con-
gresses Of 1892, 1894 and 1896, which
saw the great struggle between free
silver and sound money forces. led re-
spectively, by Bryan and Cleveland.
President Roosevelt has undoubtedly
debated inflationist sails by the boon
bestowed on the silver States. and
thereby staked out claim on con-
siderable block of votes in both houses.
But the group led by Senator Wheeler,
Democrat, of Montana, intends to fight
for free coinage" and outright re-
monetization of silver. That fore
shadows battle royal. Wheeler's 16.
to-l bill almost passed the Senate last
Spring. There is plenty of House sup
port for such legislation. Whether in
dent free silver" could be enacted over
veto Is another question.
Mr.. Roosevelt. as Congress recon-
venes. comes pretty close to being
monarch of all he surveys on Capitol
Hill, but on proposition so embittered
as silver, the master of the new deal
might have to fight to get his way.
Roosevelt political leadership in general
faces its first real test. There was
hardly any occasion for it, in militant
sense, during the emergency session,
until the veterans offensive against
the economy act. Those were the
honeymoon days, and they are no more,
| but it is no less a fact that Mr.. Roose-
velt's hold on public confidence remains
strong, and, in the opinion OF Demo-
cratic leaders. is unbreakable. It al
ways happens in an election year,
moreover, that hardly any vote is cast
| in Congress without thought of its ef-
| feet upon the folks back home. The
3O-odd members of the Senate up for
| reelection and hundreds of Represent
atives anxious to perpetuate them
selves will, every mothers son and
| daughter of them, be bent upon making
a campaign record during the new ses-
sion. as far as roll calls on recovery
issues are concerned. This condition en-
think that though the administration S
program may encounter stormy weather
| 1t will. on the whole, have smooth sail
| ing.
|
| Should the Federal Reserve system
be involved in the fray, Senator Carter
Glass is sure to be where the fighting
| is hottest. The veteran Virginian has
| refrained from public attack on cur
vigorous views on what's happening
to gold, and Is ready to defend them
in the open if. as and when necessary.
with President Roosevelt the other day.
on the eve of the silver-purchase an
nouncement, but gave no sign Of con-
principles. If Senator Thomas. in
flationist high priest, attempts to exc
cute his threat TO "put the Federal
Oklahoman may count on fisticuffs
with his Virginia colleague. AS chair
man of the House Committee on
Banking and Currency in 1918, Mr..
Glass was sponsor in chief of the
Federal Reserve act. He retains
paternal interest in that outstanding
achievement of the Wilson admins
| tration,
Representative Compton I. White.
Democrat. of Idaho, claims he had his
seat in Congress handed to him on a
| silver platter. He goes further and
admits 1t was q Washington writer,
William Atherton Du Puy, who held
the platter. Soon after he came to
Washington last Winter, after having
defeated for reelection Representative
Burton L. French, Republican, Mr..
White hunted up Du Puy and said
that it was on the strength of a maga-
zine article on silver written by him
| that White won the election. The
| nrst idaho district is silver-minded,
and by effective use Of the facts and