The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-06-28
TURNED ON SILVER
SENATOR BAKER A LITTLE SHAKY
ON THE FREE COINAGE ISSUE

Hope for Successful Tariff Legislation
What He Thinks Will be the Eject of
the Bolt of Western Republican sena-
tOrs-Interview in Full.
Topeka, Kan, June 27.-"Five Re
publican senators must be gained this
fall to give US control of the scenate.
select one of Them" said United States
Senator Lucien Baker, yesterday. Con-
tinuing, Mr.. Baker said: II do not be-
lieve the Republicans Of Kansas realize
the importance Of the result in Kansas
this fall. The selection of a Republican
senator by the legislature of Kansas
wiz give the state an opportunity to
exercise a weighty influence upon the
destinies Of the nation
The senate now stands forty-four
Republicans, thirty-nine Democrats
and six Populists. The bolt on silver
takes away Teller, Dubois, Cannon,
Petugrew, Carter and Mantle, leaving
but thirty-eight Republicans. The last
session contained eighty-nine members,
there being one from Delaware absent.
members, and to secure majority the
Republicans must have forty-six mem
bers, or forty-five and the vice presi-
dent To the thirty-eight now holding.
two may be added in the persons of
Foraker and Wellington. This leaves
US five to gain in order to be able to
pass any legislation, and they must
come from New York, Delaware, Ken
lucky, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Mis-
souri, and Kansas. These states choose
senators this year, and while l believe
they will be able To furnish the requisite
five, it is a question open to serious
doubt.
Without a Republican senate hope Of
tariff legislation must be abandoned.
1 observe that some of the silver papers
are blaming the st. Louis convention
for losing the senate to the Republican
party. The fact is the senate was lost
10 the Republicans long before the ST.
Louis convention was ever called.
Early in the present session Sena-
tors Teller, Dubois, Cannon, Garter
and Mantle signed an ironclad agree
ment to oppose every attempt at tariff
legislation without it was acocmpani-
ed by a measure for the free and unlim-
tied coinage Of silver. A protective pol
Icy is the bed rock principle OF the Re-
publican party and when a senator re-
fuses his vote in that direction he has
left the party as surely and completely
as though he marched out with all the
pofnp and ceremony which attended Tel
Ter at ST Louis.
THE senate could not have been held
to the Republicans even If the St. Louis
convention had granted the full de-
mands Of the silver men, because what
We held IN the west by that move would
be more than lost in the east, where
sound money is favored. Therefore, /
say the st. Louis convention is not re-
spon bic for the reduction of the Re
publican vote in the senate, but may be
congratulated on the fact that it got
through the financial revolution with
the loss Of so few.
THE grea test duty before the Amer
lean people is a reformation of our tar
III laws along the Republican line Of /
protection to American industries This
was recognized by the Republicans Of
the nation when they rose up almost as
one man and declared for the nominal
ton Of Major Mckinley. I believe that /
IT would be better for the Republican /
party in the end that Major Mckinley !
should be defeated at the polls next /
seat now occupied by Grover Celevland |
with an opposition senate in power. 1t 1
would leave the Republican party pow /
erless to accomplish the great tariff re !
form to which it is pledged and usher |
out the last year of McKinley's reign |
with some deplorable state Of prostra- /
ton which now comes as legacy from |
the Democratic party.
las I have said, Teller. Dubois and \
others left the Republican party when
they signed that agreement to oppose
tariff legislation without a free silver
attachment They left men in the SEN
ate who, like themselves, were friendly
to silver, no middle course to pursue.
Their declarations for silver meant sill
yer recommendation and nothing short of
that They forced the issue and IL was
no longer a question OF a mans friend
-iness for the white metal and his will
for the largest safe use of it. but !
an issue IN which he was forced to de-
5lare for the free and unlimited coinage
Of silver at the ratio Of Is TO l, or else
stand by the gold standard. I had no
in making my selection When
went to the senate freely said 10 the
people of Kansas that I was In favor of
some measure looking to the coinage OF
l. L
most radical silver Republican in Kan
sas goes no further than that.
II meant what l said. and am not now
admitting that I was Iu5sta ken. But
that is not the issue with which we are
confronted. The free coinage men are
demanding the free and unlimited coin
age Of all silver in the world and that
5 doctrine 10 which cannot subscribe
nor do | believe that the so-calied sill
yer Republicans of Kansas can sub
scribe TO II. a bolt from the Republi-
an party now means support OF the
rec and unlimited coinage OF silver at
ne ratio Of 10 10 l. and It means a total
abandonment of the principle OF pro-
ectiou-
Kansas has a great opportunity to Go |
Ter country a service by electing a man
o the senate who viii vote to avert ihe
which has followed and will
continue TO follow the Democra tic POI
cy of free trade which Is now in force.
she should set about the election OF
Republican legislature without regard
Q any mans ambitions to become sen
rtor. Il Is the imperative duty Of the
OF Kansas TO avoid any
pledges or agreements which would
end 70 destroy the usefulness OF the
text senator. The issue should be buried
md not have place in the campaign
which is now going on"
Senator Baker says that Il the Chica-
20 convention declares for free silver
he Democrats Of New York and other
'astern states VII mot put up electoral
tcketS, New York Democrats espe-
sally, he said. VIII let the state go 70
Mckinley by default and confne their
pecial effort 10 capturing the leg.sla-
ure.
PRIzE fighting Is not yet 50 disrrace,r,