The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-26
Passing of the Silver Craze I'm Kan
sas, He Says, Is Due to Large Crops
and Good Prospects.
HNTI-EXPANSlON AGITATION
REPUBLICANS CONFIDENT THE CRU
SADIE CAN BE OVERCOME.
Sufficient Authority in the COnstitu-
tion for Controlling New Terri
tOry-The "Open-DOOr Policy"
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Nov. Ex-senator Harris,
of Kansas, joins Senator Mcbride of Ore
gon, in demand for an extra session of the
Fifty-sixth Congress, to enact necessary
monetary legislation. He says: "Tremen-
dous pressure is being brought to bear on
the President Tor an extra session. All the
sound Democrats of the country and thou
sands of Republicans are clamoring for cur
rency reform; and they want an extra ses-
sion, which shall be devoted to this subject.
conscientiously disregard the prayers Of
these people. The gold Democrats were
largely instrumental in electing him and
have been among his strongest supporters
since he entered the White House. Mr. Nc
Kinley called an extra session of the present
Congress to satisfy the protective tariff ad-
vocates and secured the passage Of the
Dingley bill. Why should he not accom-
modate his currency reform friends in the
same manner and accord them special legis-
lation. think 1t is idle to talk of the pros
poets of a currency bill being passed dur
ing the coming session of Congress. Secre-
tary Cages ideas are Incorporated in the
McCleary bill, which can never pass the
Senate as it is now constituted, and the ad-
vocates of reform must await the next Con-
gress before hoping to secure the passage
of BILL
Asked to account for the great falling off
III the free-silver vote in Kansas Senator
Harris said THE loss Of the free-siIver
forces can be attributed to apathy on the
part OF voters and the good condition of the
wheat crops in the State. The wheat belt
OF Kansas is situated almost in the middle
OF the State, being a strip Of land about
one hundred miles long and extending from
the northern to the southern boundary.
Last year the wheat crop in the belt was
an excellent one and the farmers secured
good prices for their product. This year
there are prospects Of another good crop
and the wheat in the ground for next sum
ner threshing is showing up in excellent
shape. l recently talked with one of the
wheat-belt farmers and questioned him re-
gardlng the prospects for a crop and the re-
suit OF the election. WELL he said. YOU
see, last year raised about four thousand
Dushels of wheat and got so cents a bushel
Tor It, That was pretty good for me, and il
enabled me to pay off the mortgage on the
farm. This year the prospects are equally
good, and hope to lay aside little on the
receipts of the crop now in the ground. I
nave always been a Democrat but as things
are coming my way l guess l will lust let
good enough alone and not vote for a
change in politics. This man is like the
fellow who had had one good square meal
and who was convinced that he was going
to get another the next day, although he
was trusting in Providence to secure #
Again, 1t is a fact that at least 81. 900 Demo-
cratic voters stayed away from the polls as
against 1900 on the Republican side. The
apathetic feeling on the part of voters of
our ticket as shown by these figures tells
the story Of our defeat more plainly than
anything else. There was also g. feeling
prevalent among the people that the admin
lstrauon should be supported in the fight
against Spain and a great many of the
voters were of opinion that a vote against
the President and his followers would no
tantamount to an expression Of svmpatbv
with Spain. For that reason a great MANY
OF the Democrats cast their ballots with
the Republicans
Ihe agitation started by New England
doctrinaires against territorial expansion on
the ground that it is violation of the Con-
st1tutlon, is being generally seized on bv
democratic leaders and will be their prin
clpal stock in trade when our foreign rela-
tions are under discussion from now on.
Republicans are not seriously disturbed over
the issue, but will be forced by the opnosi
tion to take notice of it and to combat the
position assumed. The expansionist defense
is that Congress has identically the same
authority under the Constitution to take
charge of, regulate and govern the PbiIin-
pines, Porto Rico, Hawaii or any other in
sular possessions which may be ACQUIRED a 6
it has to exercise control over other tarri-
tory in the Unitel States. That clause of the
Constitution which lodges in Congress the
right to assume the ownership and govern
ment of public lands. territory and other
property, is the only constitutional authority
Congress ever had for the organization of
the whole territorial scheme, which has in
it's day evolved from the territory living ont
side of the confines of the thirteen original
States into thirty-two additional States and
number of Territories, including the Dis
trict of Columbia The same authority is
held by expansionists to be sufficient to cover
any territory which may be annexed or ac-
quired ey the United states and that there
will be no necessity for an amendment to
the Constitution TO meet the existing emer-
gency.
In connection with the crusade OF the
New England anti-imperialists. an interview
with Chairman Dingley, of the House ways
and means committee, printed in the
Star this evening, is interesting. Mr.
Dingley was asked TO explain
the term open door policy" as
applied to the future commerce of the Pril-
ippines in case they should be acquired by