The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-01-15
THE SILVER FIGHT IS ON.
THE PUBLIC, HOWEyER, FAIL TO
RECOGNIZE THE FACT.
Senator Butler More Blatant Than PETER
in His Pslmicst Days-A
silver Incident.

1
sides of the controversy, are treating the
subject in Iistloss and disinterested
manner, which promises little for the fu-
| ture of the movement.
1t is a kind OF opera bouffe fight. so
far az the silver men are concerned, with
few leading burlesdue artists and
wcll-trained chorus. Jones. Of Arkansas
Morgan. Vest and Stewart have each
essayed leading parts and each has been
well supported by the others. The erect
| Of their efforts has been TO create GER
tain grim sort OF amusement Senator
| Sherman has smiled at the assault upon
him by Senator Morgan. and other sound
| money men have been entertained by the
| apparent earnestness OF the faction with
one idea. The public, however, refuses
! u be interested and the folly Of the
| silver men Is causing only impatience
and disgust Thanks to the silver men,
! the Senate has fallen 50 low in public
estimation that when a serious eHort
IL made 10 change the manner or elect
ing senators 30 as 70 allow the people 10
choose their representatives direct, IL ~
certain TO meet with hearty public sup
/ port
THE SENATE NOT REPRESENTA-
TIVE.
The dimcuty now with the Senate is
that il has ceased TO be a representative
/ body. IL should not occasion surprise
| that senators cling tenaciousiy TO
code OF rules which permit a minority
/ of the dominant party 10 control legis-
| lation, when II is remembered that the
representatives OF a decided minority OF
| the people Of the United States form
majority in tho United States Senate.
rlf4 f.f hl eli ina ion Ia
/ the ridiculous claims set up by the sill
yer men is worth more than a mere
passing attention. Everybody realizes
| that the silver men represent small con-
| stituencies. but the public generally does
not appreciate how small they are as
compared with tnC sound-mOney consu-
tuencies Of the country. Twenty years
sgo the late Allen @. Thurman warned
the Senate that in the admission or
sparsely settled States 10 the Union, with
full constitutional representation in the
Senate, a blow was being struck at repre-
sentative government.
He pointed cut that the new states
would WELD great power in the Senate,
and that i'm all probability their influence
would be used IN opposition 10 the inter-
ests Of the populous and prosperous East.
The truth OF Mr.. Thurmans assertion IA
now being realized.
The silver majority in the senate--a ma
Jority which stands in the way OF all
proper financial legislation, which casts
discredit upon the integrity Of the Amer
lean people and doubt upon the stability
of the currency-represent not more than
one-third Of the population Of the coun-
try. An examination Of the census fig
ures for 1890 show some interesting and
important facts. The aggregate DoDu-
lation OF all the State I'm the Union, rep
resented by silver men in the United
States Senate is 227s9.55S. These fig
ures include the new State of Utah and
the Territory Of Oklahoma, not yet rep
resented in the Senate. and the follow
ing Tates, which are represented en-
tirely or I'm part by silver senator's:
Mississippi, Virginia. Georgia. Missouri.
Nebraska, Kansas. Alabama, Louisiana,
Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina.
North Dakota, South Dakota. Tennes-
see. Arkansas, Montana Wyoming. Col
orado Nevada, Idaho. Washington, ore
gon. California, and Indiana.
NOT SILVER STATES.
But, as may be discovered at a plance,
this list includes States that cannot be
regarded as silver States.
Indiana and Missouri have both de-
clared for sound money. Nebraska and
Kansas have turned down the free-sil-
Yer Democrats and POpuists.
Alabama, Louisiana. Georgia, Virginia,
ana Texas, not only haVe a strong sound |
money representation in Congress, but. /
it is confidently expected, will declare !
for sound money In the next campaign. |
Even in Mississippi the sentiment IS di- |
vided. and it is by no means certain that |
il Will remain in the free-silver column I
after the next State convention Is held. |
But at present. for the sake of illustra- !
tion and not OF argument. Mississippi /
Is counted as a frce-silver State. North /
and South Carolina must also be nut |
down as hOpelessly committed 20 all doc
trines Of unsound finance. No one could /
look at their senator's and believe any /
thing else. Tennessee Is also accorded /
10 the frce-silver men, and these South /
ern States and the silver States Of the /
West numbering in all sixteen States /
have an aggregate population OF 4.0i6,50i- !
a little more than One-eighth Of the en- I
tire population of the country.
THE BACKBONE N THE WEST.
The Western States alone which must
be considered as the backbone Of the |
whole silver movement, including Mon
tana, WyOmius Colorado. Nevada. Idaho,
oregon. and California, have
an aggregate population Of 8,0ZL6l3-a Ill
tie more than one-half Of that Of the
State OF New York alone.
When these figures are compared with
those of the sOund-mOney States. the
folly OF the claim that the country Is
bordering upon the adoption Of tree coin
age appears TO be 20 ridiculous that Il
could hardly be advanced by sane men.
with any expectation that IL would be
believed.
The New England States, and New
York, New Jersey. and Pennsylvania
hay9 an aggregate population greater
han that Of all the silver States COM
Dined, while .he sound-money States pos
iess a population so far in excess OF
he silver States that comparison is al
most impossible. These figures are iIn-
DOrtant just now, because the SILVER men
control the United States Senate. They
show, too, the enormity of the outrage
which the silver men are endeayoring 10
)erpetrate upon the American people.
BUTLER ABASHED.
The only incident in Congress worthy
If note thus far to-day is The demon
,tration again, on the part OF Marion
Butler, OF North Carolina, OF his ex-
rene infatuation for the sound OF mis-
,wn voice With a paucity Of intellect
md a torrent Of words, his iniiictions are
becoming a daily feature OF senatorial |
ife.
PETER sits amazed and dismayed a this
lew gas-bag, which he never equalled |
wen in his palmiest days. while Stewart,
With his great love for the white metal,
5 forced 10 flee TO the secuslOn |