The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-01-28
REPUDIATED.
Western Silver Senators Turn
Against Senator Baker.
They Say He Isn't a Silver Man
at All.
GOLDBUGS PRAISE HIM
His Speech Pleases All of Them
Immensely.
Dick Blue of Kansas Endorses
Every Word of 1t.

From the State Journals Special Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28.-The speech of
Senator Baker in the senate last Friday
on the bond bill appears to have had the
effect of placing him among the gold
bugs. Though up to the time of his
speech he had been classed by the east
ern papers among the silver men, his
expressed sentiments are approved by
the gold men and condemned by the Re-
publican advocates of free silver.
The fact is that Notwithstanding the
change of outside opinion regarding his
been the same all along. In advocating
the coinage of American silver only, and
a prohibitive tariff on foreign silver, he
has simply been consistent with the po-
sition he has always held. The mistake
which was made in putting him among
the free silver advocates was a very
natural one. Knowing that he came
from a western state and a state in
which all the way from three -fourth5 to
nine-tenths of the people were in favor
of the free coinage of silver, and having
noted the several times he had voted
with the free silver men, correspondents
and editors supposed that he would nat
urally voice the sentiment of his constit-
uents.
But Senator Bakers speech in which
he favored the coinage of the American
product only and demonstrated in clear
and logical manner how such action
would not change the present state of
the financial question enough in either
direction to make any marked difference
had the effect of clearing up any misap-
prehension as TO where he stood. His
position is approved by the gold men
and is said by the silver men to demon
strate that he is no silver man at all.
Congressman Blue, who heard the
speech, was warm in his praises OF it. He
declared that it met with his entire ap-
prevail. except that he would not have
gone SO far as to favor any set ratio even
for the coinage of the American product,
though Senator Baker named 16 to 1.
Mr.. Blue said: SIT was a magnificent
speech, and by far the best in my mind
which has been delivered on the subject
in the senate. He came out squarely for
sound money, and l was gratitied to see
it. The Kansas Republican platform de-
clared for the coinage of the American
product of silver, and that was just the
ground Senator Baker took.
"The speech was better than any that
has ever been delivered by Kansas man
on the money question in the senate.
Plumb used to get up and fuss around on
tho subject, aud Ingalls, acted the dema-
x
tOed defense of sound money. l was glad
to see that he didn't play the dema.
gogue."
That is one opinion of the speech-but
there are others.
One of the most prominent Republican
silver senators in the senate, one from
one of the mountain states, in conversa-
tion with the JOURNAL correspondent,
said:
81 didn't listen to Bakers speech long,
because l was disgusted with his posi-
ton. He may imagine that he is a sill
yer man, but he isn't.
"The coinage of the American product
would of course be of great benefit to
the mine owners of the west but that is
not the silver question; that is simply
the question of protection. A man who
goes no farther than that in his belief is
not a silver man at all The advocates
of free silver believe that it will result
in better prices for the farmers and other
producers of agricultural crops and that
is why they support the doctrine. Pro
lection to silver mines is all right as
factor in the tariff and it is of course
small part of the silver question, but
free coinage is bigger and broader and
no supporter of the American product
alone eau properly call himself silver
advocate or friend of the metal 'as
money
"And SO, while Senator Baker defined
the classes of belief on the money ques-
tion
1. Gold monometallists,
g. Silver monometallists,
g. Bimetallists,
he finds his position approved by the
first and condemned by the other two.
His position may be clear and we'll de-
fined to himself and perhaps to a careful,
unprejudiced judge, but nevertheless he
is forced into this attitude by the zealots
of both sides, the one claiming him, the
other repudiating,
"Whether the affront of Senator Baker
to the silver men in the senate will hurt
mis- influence and position is matter of
speculation. The silver men are in con-
troll and they would naturally favor those
who stand with them. The western
senators are solidly for silver and almost
all Republicans. 1t is to be expected
that they will stand together for the
west and western interests and as they
have the power now and will have more,
it is wise politically, if there were no
other reasons. to stand in with them"
NJ. F. N.