The Van Buren press., 1899-02-11
I'M 1900 nLN0I.oA.
The Senate Can be Made Democratic as
Well as the House, Says Sena-
tor Jones Of Arkansas.

Senator james X Jones. chairman OF
the Democratic national committee, re-
Gently wrote letter TO Hon. Geo 5.
Bowen of Chicago, secretary .of the
American Bimetallie Union, in which he
SUNS up present and prospective condi
tions in the United States senate. Here
is what he says:
The claim of the Republican papers
that the senate is already irreyoeably
against silver, and will SO stand until
1903 at the earliest. is like many of their
extreme claims, in my opinion, not well
founded
Upon the passage of what is known
rs the Teller resolution, of January
2eth, 1898, which declared that the
bonds of the government are paying
principal and interest in silver dollars
coins of the United States, containing
4l2h grains of standard silver, and
that Ito restore to its coinage such sill
yer coins as legal tender in the pay
ment of such bonds principal and in
terest, is not in violation of the public
faith, nor in derogation of the rights of
the public creditors, there was a ma
jority of fifteen votes in the senate in its
favor This may be reasonably accept
ed rs a test vote on the silver question.
A gold MAN has since been elected from
Oregon to fill "a vacancy, which reduces
our majority to fourteen. OF those who
voted in favor of that proposition at that
time, seven senators will probably be
succeeded on the 4th of March next by
senators opposed to the unlimited coin
age of silver, namely: Senators Allen OF
Nebraska. Mitchell of Wisconsin, Muir
ply of New York, Roach of North
Dakota Smith of New Jersey. Turpie
of Indiana, and White of California
This will leave the two sides equal
and the deciding vote will be in the
hands of the vice president. This con
dition of things hardly warrants the
triumphant claim of the gold men that
they have captured the senate and will
hold it for many years to come.
This year an unusual proportion of
bimetallists, who come from close
states, have had their terms to expire.
In 1900, however, all this will be evened
up by larger proportion of gold men
retiring who come from close states.
What is likely to be the condition of the
senate in 1901 can be easily seen.
The terms of thirty senators expire at
that time. OF the thirty, eleven who
are now friendly to silver, may safely
be counted as absolutely certain to be
succeeded by silver men. These sena
tors come from the following states
Alabama. Arkansas Colorado, Georgia.
Idaho, Mississippi, North Carolina
South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and
Virginia. The following states may be
expected to elect gold men at that time
Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island
New Hampshire is now represented
by silver man, whose term will expire
in 1901. Much will depend in that state
upon the personal popularity of the
present senator. Mr.. Chandler, but If he
should be succeeded by gold man
Louisiana and Kentucky. now repre-
sented by gold men. are certain to send
two bimetallists in their stead, leaving
the advantage so far with the silver
men.
In two states-South Dakota and
where we now have silver
senators, there will be contests, and
the most that can be claimed by the
gold men is that we are not positively
certain to hold these states, while the
following states, now represented by
gold men, can certainly not be claimed
as sure to return a solid gold delegation,
namely: Iowa. Kansas, Michigan
Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey
Oregon, West Virginia and Wyoming
From all this 1t is perfectly safe to
assert, without fear of contradiction
that if the bimetallists succeed in elect.
ing the president in 1900. they will un.
questionably have clear working ma
jority in the United States senate.
JAMES X. JONES.