National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-21

right Of choice. trust the day b not distant
when, by some action Of our Government, Z
new order Of things win exist IN Cuba, and We
shall Shave peace" !
(signed) 8. B. CoHoyEs.
GENERAL Butler ON FINANCE
AND POLITICS.
lGOvERNoR wAsHBURN AN EXCELLENT
COMPROMISE.
The irrspressibls and ubiquitous interviewsr Of
the New York Herald has extracted the follow
ing from the Essex statesman:
Gensral Butler, on his way to Boston, stayed
| ut the Fifth Avenue hotel yesterday There q
reporter Of the Herald met him. The GensraI
was In the very best condition OF temper. PIA-
cidity and smlsbilIty appeared to be photographed
seizes the first attention Of every beholder Of the
familiar face. The ordeal Of IN Interview, 20
much dreaded By some public men. was the play
ful pastims Of the great Essex statesman, and he
assumed 70 the reporter familiar and eonn-
DENTAL manner that was truly charming. Now
and then the humor Of his saytngs was evidently
enjoyed syea By himself and his recent defeat Ia
Massachusetts appeared 70 be . pleasant mem
DRY. The following Is the substance Of ths inter-
| view: -
Reporter (ater the usual sslusations had bean
| exchanged.) General how ID innstionf
General Butler. lnlationf Nobody d In fhYur
OF Imitation donr know anything about inaa-
ton. The good people Of New York have not yet
learned the true name for the increase which has
been adopted BY Congress. Nobody desires 70
inhats the currency, but what Congress wants "a
TO expand &C. Let me ask you, Why shoulds
greenback Of to-days Issue not be worth a. much
as enc Of the day before yesterdays issus9
Reporter II Congress wsro to issue $500 ooo, 900
OF paper money to-day would It still fsu 10 depre-
cists the curreneyf
General Butler with dslIbsration and closing
the famous eye.l II Congress were to Issue 500
900 900 OF greenbscks and with them take up $780,
ooo.O 900 Of terest-bearrng bonds
THE INTEREST WOULD BE- SAVED,
would It rotf Would not the groenback, % part
ofthe national debt, be enhanced in Valuef ALI
the difference would be IA the premium
Reporter Why Is It that 50 many Of the best
minds Of the country look ct the measure ss one
fraught with ruinf
Gen Butler. This cry Of ruin comes from the
men who hold the bonded debt, which amounts to
about onsquarter Of the total values Of the coun-
try. II there could be such contraction Of the
currency a. would make Its value equal to that Of
gold all the property In the country would be de-
precIated about fifteen per cent. actually, and
probably thirty per cent, except the debts which
are owned By capitalists, which would fncrssssin
fifteen or twenty five per cent, while everybody
else In the country would lose In the same proper
ton. Whom, during the last panic. everybody's
property In railway shares, manufactures and
everything else fell thirty per cent. In ten days
the bonded debt Of the country did not fall aad
mems notes did not grow any lesl. However, the
depreciation Of values was so great that Il could
not Be compensated for even the increase Of the
value Of the debts which the capitalists owned.
.-nf.- ~. II -. ~.
men weret caring
THE SKIRTS OF THE PRESIDENT
to prevent his going to church. IN order to per-
suade him to issue the e4k0oo, 900 Of reserve for
the safety Of the country, who yesterday went to
Washington 10 ask him II he would not veto the
bill which legallzes that issuss The General
laughed.l
Reporter. Do you think that President Grant
will veto the bill, Gsneralf
General Butler. have no means Of knowing
except what you and everybody knows. For my
part, I must needs think lt very impudent, I'M
pertinent proposition to as1 him to veto . bill
which merely legaliEsd what they had previously
asked him to do. For this and other reasons do
not see how the President can say By his veto
that It Is not proper for or within the power %
Congress TO make that legal which he hfnsslf had
done.
Reporter What OF the argument that all tho
9Oll0 ana solvent COuutElo8 VI GuIOpor E1uSlAuuV
France, &C., have specie payment, while only such
insolvent countries IS Spain, Italy, Austria, 80,
stick to this incontrovertibls paper money!
General Butler. England has issued . paper
currency convertible into gold ct the pleasure OF
the holder; however, when any man calls from
the Bank Of England 81, 900 900 she increases her
rate Of interest third; II 100000 are called
from the bank she doubles It; II $4,000, 900 arc
called from her she treSles IT, and II 81 are
called for
SEE susPsNDs Specie PAYMENTS
altogether. Since 1913 and sfter having 'broken''
all the merchants, the bank has three times sus-
pended specie paymsnts-in 1s4s, In 1851 and In
lseo. The same argument holds good with regard
TO the Bank Of France. The only relief In times
OF distress for the people has been to suspend
specie payment. Why not live under relief all
the timer IAnsr pause.l II our currency has
done worse than the supposed gold currency Of
England should like 70 be informed about It.
Reporter. Do you believe IN the probability Of
ths formation Of wpartiss In consequence Of this
financial question:
General Butler. ean't tell - to that; that d .
matter Of future development One thing II eer-
tain-that Is that the people VIII have as mneh
currency as Il Necessary to keep thsn In the path
OF prosperity, where they are now, and to enEble
business to be done without paying twelve or NJ
teen per cent. interest FOR the Of money whom
Reporter. Yoa arc the only member Of the New
England delegation, General, / behave, who Is In
favor Of sxpansionf
General Butler. an ths only man who feels
himself
INDEPENDENT or THE CAPITALISTS
Of New England, and also OF those who would en-
rich themselves 1t the expense OF the interest Of
the people Gnd the business Of the country, hAKng
taken this ground when nrst entered Congress.
and never having sservsd IRON It. IWith desi-
sion-l 1 AN acting according to my best hshts
and for the good Of the entire country, and with
out claiming tnfslliblity, must act according to
my best lights, unawed By the power Of wealth
and undeterred By SANDER and csfunny.
Reporter. General, what do you think Of Gov
ernor washburn's election - United states Sen
storf
General Butier-Ah, he has never. been elected
to any once but rs compromise candidate. He
Is q very amIabls and respectable gentleman, but
he IL no, the choice Of anybody, for Il took them
month to agree upon him. He Is thu Arst Cover
nor Of Massachusetts, who has dsmsaned himself
by being . candidate for the Ssnatorship. We
have always held the once Of Governor higher
than that Of Senator ever since Governor Joha
Hancock and George Washingtoa waited two
days until one Of them could make up bis mind -
to who was
TO PAT THE ErRsr oALE-
Governor wsshburns election d che Of the %.
eidental inmAtorial faets IN politics II was svt-
dent that the various parties IN the Legislature
on the Senatorial q1eskion could agree on nolhfnr
but II was also clear that Something must Be done
70 break the dsadloek and allow he business %
the Ststs TO proceed, and therefore Trey did -
naar nothing ~ thsy eouid.
And the General, laughingiy, shook hAnds with
shs reporter and nsdesd him parting sdisu.
- a.. ON. = 1870. a.