The Coconino weekly sun., 1894-09-13
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From our regular correspondent.
 WASHINGTON. D. C., Sep

A political sensation or the nrst mag nitude was that sprung upon the coun- try by Senator Jones, of Nevada. when he announced his withdrawal from the republican party and his membership of the peoples party. Senator Jones is now serving his fourth term in the senate, and his prominence in the re- publican party is. atteSted by his being a member of the tinance committee, which is always regarded as a high party honor, To say that the popn- lists are jubilaut over their distin- guishcd recruit is putting it very mildly indeed. Already there is some talk of Senator Jones being made the populist nominee for the presidency in 1896, bu, that cannot be--he was born in Eng- laud.
 At the headquarters of the populist congressional campaign committee Senator Jones' letter is regarded as campaign document of inestimable value, particularly iu the northwestern states, where there are many who be- lieve with Senator Jones in the free coinage of silver at the ratio of Is to 1, but still remain in the old parties, trusting that their parties will eventu- ,lly endorse the idea. Senator Jones destroys that illusion by ridiculing the various "silvor blanks" in the follow ing vigorous language: "All these resolutions and so-called silver blanks are the same sort of dust that for many years has been thrown into the eyes of silver republicans and silver demo- crats to blind them sufficiently long to permit particular election to be held, and to secure their votes for that cleo tion. If those conventions favored the free coinage of silver by the United States at q ratio of Is to 1, without re- gard to the policies of foreign govern ments, the English language is sufii- ciently copious for them to say so."
 The populists believe that the letter will be worth at least twenty members of the next house to their party by req son of the votes of the silver men in the old parties that it will cause to be cast for populist candidates solely on the silver issue. The republicans are not saying much about the letter, but it is plain that they do not like it even little bit, coming as it does right at the beginning of the congressional campaign. It is particularly distaste- ful tS the administration democrats, because it will have decided ten dency towards forcing the silver issue to the front, and their calculations had Ill been made with the idea that itwas 0 be ignored wherever possible aud rmporized with elsewhere. Men of Ill shades of political opinion agree hat the letter is likely to prove an i'm ,'orant factor in the congressional cam- paign. although they disagree as to which party will be most benefited thereby.
 
 There is also another important as- pect to be considered. The populists Ire now figuring upon holding the bal Iuce of power in the senate as we'll as in the house in the next congress. They say that the influence of Senator Jones will result in the election of one pupulist senator from Colorado, Mon ;aua, Wyoming, Idaho and California, md two from Utah. Should their ex- Jcctations be realized, there is little doubt that they will hold the balance pf power in the senate after the fourth If next March. They are also claim ing that I'illman and 1rby, of South Carolina, will act with them, certainly upon the silver question, if not upon all others. It will require forty-six sen atorS to control the senate of the next congress, and slould Arizona and New Mexico get admitted in time to send senators to the iifty-fourth congress, it will require forty-eight. All of which shows that the political situation is in Il very interesting condition, and that there are very few certaintics ahead.
 It seems to be generally conceded by South Carolina democrats in Washing ton that Governor Tillman will be sent to the senate. One of them - MT. Miles W. Blalock-says: 'I notice that Speaker Crisp, Senator Gordon and Representative Bourke Cochran are rpported as intending tO % to