The News & Observer

SENATOR JONES' VIEWS

HE SAYS THE PEOPLE ARE TERRIBLY IN EARNEST ON THE MONEY QUESTION.

DAY FOR STRADDLING PASSED.

Senator Jones Wants the United States to Take the Bull by the Horns and Force the Other Nations to Recognize the White Metal--He Predicts that a Free Coinage Man Will be the Next President--Senator Vest a Stronger Silver Advocate than Ever.

Special to the News and Observer.

WASHINGTON, D. C., May 2.

Senator Jones, of Arkansas, is in the city.

"The thinking people of my State are intensely in earnest in this matter," said the Senator to a reporter, "and I take them to be fairly good samples of the people throughout the country. They have seen the effects of the hard times growing out of the demonetization of silver and the appreciation of gold. They waited in vain for the return of prosperity that was promised us when the purchasing clause of the Sherman act was repealed. The people of the great Western section of this country believe now, as they have for years, that there will be no material return of good times until the money which belongs to them is restored, and they will demand something more than empty sounding promises when the convention meets to select our next candidate."

No More Straddling.

"The day for straddling has passed. This was the sentiment expressed by Secretary Morton, but he and I doubtless consider this straddling process from very different points of view. Those who hold to the doctrine of gold monometallism, and foresee nothing but evil in the rehabilitation of silver, are in the great minority and will be outvoted in the national convention two to one.

"The convention to be held shortly in Illinois may be accepted as a warning of what is to come. I hardly believe that the people in that State need the education that will grow out of the convention, but it will serve the purpose of calling emphatic attention throughout the country to the end in which the public mind is now running. There has been a great deal of talk recently about an international monetary conference. There seems to be little probability of such a conference being held. The way to force the other countries to accept the use of silver is for us to do it ourselves. A trial of the experiment will at once show how utterly impossible it is for the other nations to withstand the action that we shall take. If we take the bull by the horns the other nations will be forced to come to the same thing."

Would Prefer to Rob the Rich.

Senator Jones paid his respects to the "sound money" theory that has been discussed lately in some quarters of the administration circle. "I am in favor of sound money just as much as anybody can be," said the Senator, "but views as to what is and what is not sound money may vary. I think it was Balfour who said in a speech some time since that 'money should be a steady and unfluctuating record of values for great lengths of time.' A money which fluctuates upward is just as bad as that which moves in the other direction. That which increases in value robs the masses for the benefit of the few. It may be said that the other robs the few for the benefit of the many. If, however, there is to be any robbery at all, it would look as if those who have amassed great fortunes can stand it the better, and a feeling of humanity would suggest that it would be better to rob the fellow who can stand it.

"Do not misunderstand me, though, for I am opposed to the robbery of any class of our people. At the same time I am emphatically opposed to allowing those who have fixed incomes to rob the balance of the country by increasing the value of the money in which those incomes are to be paid."

Predicts a Free Coinage President.

Senator Jones said that he had no particular choice for the Presidency. "You can depend upon one thing," he added, "and that is that the man to be named by the next Democratic convention will be favorable to the coinage of silver. There will be no half-heartedness about him, and he will be a man who will interpret the platform of the convention as the masses have interpreted it for many years past. That is the kind of a man who will be nominated, and the people who read and think about these matters appreciate it now, just as much as if it were an accomplished fact. The next President of these United States, if he be a Democrat, will be for the free coinage of silver, and the Congress that will come into power with him will speedily pass such a measure, and it will be promptly put into force. Then will come the fulfillment of things long since promised."

Senator Vest, of Missouri, who broke with the President rather than abate in the slightest degree his devotion to the white metal, has returned to Washington from a visit among his constituents, more aggressively in favor of silver, if that were possible, than ever before. He is determined to exact all his influence to bring about a Democratic pro-silver convention in Missouri similar to that already called in Illinois.