The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-08
POLITICAL NOTES AND GOSSIP.

Mr.. Hanna Cries .sWoIfu'-In the
name of his chief. Mr.. Hama, the Hon.
Perry S. Heath has given out carefully
and ingeniously prepared statement show
ing that If Mr.. Bryan is elected President
the Senate will become free silver before
his term expires. and that thus all Of the
Notifications the Republicans have con-
structed around what they are pleased to
call sound money" will be battered down
and the country placed on 16 to l basis.
1t is evident. of course. whether or not
Mr.. Bryan is elected President the Demo-
Gratis have a chance to once again get con-
troll of the Senate By 1904. Mr. Bryan's
election might or might not help this pros
pect. Through the Reorganization of the
Democracy brought about by Mr.. Cleveland
The Republicans were enabled to capture
half dozen senatorial seats that normally
should not be theirs. This is especially
true of Scholarships for Kentucky, North
Carolina. Maryland, and West Virginia
Whatever befalls Mr.. Bryan the present
strong organization of the Democratic
party will not be materially affected by it.
The party has regained its fighting spirit
and will come into ITS own in Democratic
States as rapidly as opportunities to do SO
are presented. BY that means it will
again get control OF the Senate, and in the
opinion of conservative and well informed
politicians this years. campaign will have
precious little influence upon the contest
ahead for the Senate. Ii is not believed
the national mind today is concerned with
this detail. This is one Of the things be-
longing peculiarly to the domain of parti-
san politics. This campaign has been
pitched on higher plane that that occu-
pied by partisanship-by the relatively I'M
important questions of who is to succeed
this man and that man in the Senate. OF
course. 1t behooves the Hannaites to befog
the national mind. If possible, with mass
OF -non-essentials. In this class belongs
at present the composition of the Senate
that will be ushered in with the successor
to the winner Of the Presidential prize this
year. 1t is understood of course, that the
Republican managers are trying to focus
the minds of that large class of voters who
have been alarmed by Mckinley imperial
ism upon the free silver bogy. Mr.. Nc
Kinley set this fashion in his speech of
acceptance. But it is a fixed rule OF
American politics that the voters meet
and settle one issue at = time. The mon
etary question, they realize, has been
removed from politics for an indefinite
time. They also fully know that even if
il were possible for the Democrats immedi-
ately to come into full control of the Gov
eminent in all its departments they could
not pass a 16 to / frc, silver bill. The
experts contend that the Kansas City Con-
vertion proved the truth of this assert on
beyond the shadow of doubt. In all
parts of the country only two issues are
enlisting the earnest thought of the people.
These are imperialism and the trusts. Mo-
where-Iot even in Colorado or Missouri
are Democratic. Populist, OF Silver Repub-
lican campaign orators discussing anything
else. Still. If Mr.. Hanna can frighten the
people with the corpse Of 1896 it will, of
course, pay him to do SO. That is all he
and Mr.. Heath are trying 70 90 by raising
this sihrill alarm over the danger OF the
Senate becoming 16 to before the next
Administration expires