New-York tribune., 1900-08-10
DANGER OF SLL YER SENATE.
MR.. MANLEY POINTS OUT THE POSSTB1l'-
ITY OF A CHANGE IN THAT BODYS
AKE-UP-SENATOR SCOTT
ON BRYAN'S SPEECH.


the day. but both found time to make state
ments on subjects that interested them. Sen
ator Scott made some comments on Mr.. Bryan
speech, saying:
I was impressed with that part of Mr.; Bryan's
speech which he expresses his solicitude for the
of seif-government is denied them, while he ig-
whom are guaranteed the rights of citizenship and
the franchise by the Constitution. The democrats
disfranchsing millions of negroes and at the same
tine they are clamoring for the liberty 3aae 0d ee
race of people so low in the scale OF in~teHigence ~
that God has created in the American negro a loye
for servtude at home? The black man who 19ug9t I9
that he has earned and by the party in which
see. moreover that Mr. Bryan does not refer to
his pet hobby of 16 to l. Why is this? Is ne tIylhs 8
has SO long been identihed and which he repre-
sents more than any one else IN me eop br Demo
Gratis who prefer power to principle? we were were
persistency for this principle and how he was
able to move the great convention at Kansas
be" m SaG + R 'O0 D0mineto6 of the Silver Repubi
cannot believe that he has abandoned the Leading
against Imperialism, doesn't he? Well there fan
which give just the opposite view DO you 4, hlHw
that George Washington favored the paclhcatlon
no constitution so we'll calculated as ours for ex-
tensive empire? Wasn't it Lincoln who Tho t fSsored o
onizati6n of slaves? Of course Bryan's speech
ean RH repg By BUT ese %r ony points that
suggested themselves to me this morning.
NOT THE ONLY BODY TO WATCH.
Mr.. Manley devoted his statement to the dan
ger that may arise if there is a majority for
free silver in the United States Senate after
1901. He said: Some people seemetv think
that the only body we have to watch is the
House That's mistake, for there is also
possibility of at once changing the politics Of
the Senate Although the terms Of members
expire only once in six years. there thirty
of them who go out in 1901, and the possibility
of changing enough Republicans for Democrats
among that number is too great for us to take
any chances
DO you mean that there is real danger of
Silver Senator" he was asked.
Most certainly there is,' he replied. Just
analyze the Senate's VOTE and you will see that
it is very possible to change that body to Free
Silver and subserviency to Bryan. Bryan's cleo
ton would then seem not merely a rebuke to
Mckinley on the question of imperialism. but it
would be possible for Bryan, with such a vic
tory, to carry enough State legislatures to
cure the Senate for the free silver party"
'Will you tell how you figure this out?"
"WeIl, in this way: Perhaps a test vote Of the
last session of the Senate in respect to gold was
that recorded in March, 19OO on the Gold bill.
This was recognized as an Administration meas
ure and it secured the votes of members who
were considered doubtful by the sound money
men. The Gold bill was passed by majority Of
eighteen which is considered as safe by those
sound money who advocate the election OF
Bryan. But little study of the votes which
made up this eighteen shows how easy it would
be TO wipe out such majority, especially when
each change to the other side reduces the total
majority by two votes.
Among the loyal eighteen were Senators from
nine States which were in the doubtful column.
The terms of all these nine members expire in
1901. Already Mr. Foster has been elected in
Louisiana as Il Silver Democrat to succeed Sen
ator Caffery, and Mr.. Blackburn has been chosen
to succeed William Lindsay in Kentucky. These
two will reduce the gold majority in the Senate
from eighteen to fourteen provided other condi-
tions equal
IN FOUR STATES.
There were during the last session vacancies
in four States. AS the vote of Montana had
previously been recorded against the Gold BILL
that state may be recl1oned in the Democratic
column. Pennsylvania will. of course, elect
gold Republican; but if the Senators are
chosen from the remaining two States and
they cast their votes, free silver will gain one
vote here by the change, which would reduce
from fourteen to thirteen.
-Four years ago Bryan secured the electoral
votes in seven of the States whose representa-
tives in the Senate voted for the Gold BILL and
whose terms expire in 1901 Should his previous
success be repeated in these States the silver
Senators chosen by their Legislatures would
entirely wipe the gold majority in the Sen
ate and give the silver men the power.
"Or the can be put in a different way;
Foster and Blackburn, Silver Democrats. have
been elected in Louisiana and Kentucky TO sue
ceed Caffery and Lindsay, who voted with the
eighteen for the Gold bill This reduces the ma
jority TO fourteen In the four vacancies OF
Montana Utah. Delaware and Pennsylvania
silver will probably gain Senator. which
would further reduce the majority to twelve.
THE most severely fought contests OF this
NJ wyoming, Kansas, Montana West Virginia,
Idaho Nebraska. Colorado and Utah, nine
States of which Bryan carried seven in 1896.
The Legislatures in only six Of them will be
necessary TO wipe out the remaining plurality of
twelve votes for gold in the Senate"