The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-03-03
pLA1Rs VIEWS.

WHAT Ex-sENAToB FRANCE p. THINKS
OF THE POLITICAL oUTLooK-HIs oPISIoN
OF GRANT-HE PREDICTS A BRILLIANT FU-
TURE FOR BOOTH.
A reporter of the Rochester Democrat re-
Gently went to Clifton Springs, New York,
where Francis p. Blair is now a patient, to
have a chat with him. He thus reports the
result:
Reporter-To what do you attribute the
original failure of your health? Did you
contract disease in the field?
General-No; 1 went through the war with
excellent health. L think smoking hurt me
afterwards. L smoked from thirty to forty
cigars a day. When leading an outdoor
life 1t did not affect me-, but the change to
~sedentary pursuits made the habit a dan
gerous one.
Reporter-Smoking does not appear to
hurt some men.
General-It doesn't seem to hurt Grant;
but (smilingl he is unlike other men. He
Is a sphynx. Nobody seems to understand
him.
Reporter-Why do people form such diff
ferent estimates of his abilities?
General-Even his friends do not give him
credit tor the power he undoubtedly pos
sesses. No man is considered abe now-a-
days, unless he can write a leadero or make a
speech, and Grant can do neither. Yet it
seems TO me that the man who won the bat
ties and that, too, when others had failed
miserably, might be credited with some ex-
traordinary qualities. In politics he has
succeeded where weak menwould have failed.
He did not strengthen his administration at
the start by drawing around him the ablest
men in the party which selected him. He
did as Jackson before him, selecting I'M
known men; but they might be good men
for all that. Few presidents could have af-
| fOrdP6 To nnarr0l with SIQh lQQ6QrG e Trl1na-
bull, Sumner and SchurZ. Each of these had
a strong faction at his back, represented a
certain portion of the party strength, and
yet Grant was reelected as easily as if these
men had never been cast aside.
Reporter-Why do you name Trumbull
first?
General-He was, perhaps, strongest in
the senate, and especially in debate; but
Schurz is equally able, and the detection of
the three would have ruined the prospects
of an ordinary man.
Reporter-There is no possible likelihood
of . third term?
General ont know what Grant him.
self thinks, but suppose the party have no
other man they would be willing to risk.
They are not going to surrender power will
ingly, after holding it so long.
HIMSELF
is probably not anxious to subside into a
nonentity. Suppose he gives a hint that a
third term would be acceptable-at any rate
if he wanted to. he could destroy the pros
poets of any other candidate. But there is
no telling. Some new issue may come up.
Affairs may suddenly take a new shape
at any moment. and overthrow all ~calcula-
tions.
Reporter-That is just the point 1 want
your opinion on. Why is it, however, that
no change has really takens place in the
aspect of parties although such q change has
been expected by all Observers?
General-New questions might nave been
agitated Immediately after the war 10 change
party relations, had not the reconstruction
measures come up and prevented it. Up to
the present session of congress, there has
been no change for economic questions to
divide opinion. They are now receiving at
~tentiOn as you will observe.
Reporters there any likelihood of the
tariff question becoming a party issue once
more?
GeneraI-It may come up now with kim
dred questions. There can be hardly a doubt
that when all fallacious arguments are
thrown aside, there is no justice in protec-
tive legislation by congress-. Home manu-
features have protection in y moderate reve-
nue. tariff and in the cost of transportation
from foreign countries. This ought to be
enough and it is at least all they ought Co
have.
Reporter-What dc you think OF the posi-
ton of the west?
General-Well.
THIS
is growing strong. 1t is based on anti-mo-
nopoly. 1t is a protest against the abuses of
powerful corporations, and will naturally
draw to it all the grumolers, all the sore
heads OF every sort. Yes, you can judge of
the power of this new combination by the
---Ik - "
sue in Illinois was a local one 1t is true, but
that state had been overwhelmingly repub-
lican. The grangers carried nearly every
county. OF course. part of their success is
accounted for by the fact that in counties
strongly republican the democrats
counties where democrats preponderated
the republicans joined hands with the
%grangers. In close counties, both political
parties stuck to their own nominees, and
here no farmers candidate was successful,
one or the other of the two against him win
ming. In Ohio, the democrats under the lead
of Thurman managed the canvass in a way
which / thought was sure to prove fatal.
They nominated Old Bill Allen for the first
thing and then under Humans direction
cast off in the most contemptuous way the
liberals. In fact, the latter got worse treat
ment from them than they received even
from the republicans. Yet Allen was elected.
and there is no accounting for it except
by the power of the new farmers move
ment.
Reporter-Wm this movement find a re-
preventative in a presidential contest?
General-There is a new man. a brilliant
man,
BOOTH, OF CALIFORNIA.
He enters the senate in March of next year,
and will probably do some brilliant things,
even in the short time before the nomina-
tions are made. He will do enough to be
easily worked up before the country as a
very great man and may prove formidable.
Then his record is good. He has just beaten
the California railroad monoplies whom
every body else was afraid to face.
All the California railroads had come
into the hands Of these five or six men.
They were strong enough to get what sub
sides they wanted from the legislature of