The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-03-29
From the Sc. Louis Republican, s6th.
WIN. WALTER PHELPS.
WHAT HE THINKS or THE GEN.
ERAL SITUATION.
Hopes, Fears and Tribulations Of tn
Conservative Republicans.


sey, after spending a couple Of days in
this city, left yesterday for the South. In
tending to stop at Little Rock en- route. |
Whilst here Republican reporter called
to see him, and the following is the net re-
suit of the interview. Mr.. 2. was appoint |
ed by the committee of arbitration recent |
ly in session in New York to see that the |
decision or compromise settled upon by |
that committee is faithfully carried out
Of course, the subject of most interest
TO Mr.. Phelps at this moment is the duty
which he is now on his way to discharge. |
He gave quite history of the manner in
which the original investigation was con-
Quoted by himself and Messrs. Foster and
Potter at New Orleans, and then branched
off upon the subsequent investigation by
Hoar's committee; but these matters are
not of any present interest. Touching the
arbitration at his Office in New York, Mr..
Phelps observed that it was
A STRANGE COMMENTARY
upon the results of federal interference in
the domestic affairs of state, to see seven
men, two of whom were now private citi-
zens, and none OF whom were citizens of
Louisiana, sitting as board of arbitrator
to determine who were the men chosen by
the people of that state to represent them
in their own legislature. He said this
spectacle should attract attention, not only
on account of its novelty as an episode in
the history OF the country, but also on ac-
count Of the startling possibilities which
it suggested in the workings of our politi
cal system. To recapitulate the events
which led to this denouement would be
waste of time. 1t suficed that state,
technically at least invested with all the
rights and powers that belonged to any
member of our Union, should have been
made the football of factions and the VIC
tim of frauds until her domestic affairs
had become so snarled and tangled that
the knot Of her difficulties had to be cut
in q manner wholly unprecedented, and,
in law and usage, utterly unauthorized.
But after all it was the best that could be
done under the circumstances. 1t might be
hard for the people of Louisiana to submit
to such outside Intervention, but they
could bear it with some equanimity in
view Of the fact that through their trou-
bles
LESSON HAD BEEN TAUGHT
not soon to be forgotten by our rulers or
by the people who elected them. That
lesson was the peril there is in disturbing
or deranging the operation of the complex
and delicate machinery OF our system of
government. He presumed as he also
hoped, that as this was the first it would
also be the last instances in our history
where seven citizens of distant states
should be called in to arbitrate upon the
domestic political muddles of any state.
He was Republican of the straightest
sect, as the honorable traditions of his
party went, but in this matter he did not
hesitate to say that the errors, to use nc
harsher term, of the present administra-
ton we're at the bottom of all these
troubles. Mr.. Phelps then gave an ac-
count of the n,odus Operdndi of the arbi-
tration. He said the returns before the
board were encountered with mass Of
evidence and statements relative to intim
idating voters, frauds oflall sorts, and un
certainties which rendered it almost i'm
possible to get at the exact truth in al
cases. Then there were diverse views il
the board itself to be harmonized anc
shades of opinion to be consulted, all o.
which tended to still greater complexity
Each member of the board had
SOME ESPECIAL PETS
among those whose election to the legis
lature was to be passed upon, and woulC
hence be inclined to make the returns lool
as favorable as possible for them. Some
times these favoritisms, or rather the in
terests OF these favorites would clash, anC
then there would be discord in the board
Mr.. Phelps had himself been especially
DESTROYS to re-seat Mr.. Vaughn of Caddl
parish, one of the five members expelled
by De Trobriand at the point of the bay
onet. He had been most favorably i'm
pressed with the bearing of the old maj
when he was expelled, and from previous
investigation of his own in New Orleans
had become strongly of the opinion tina
Mr.. Vaughn was entitled to his seat
But he had been forced to yield to his col
leagues, who, upon examination Of tn,
Caddo returns, could not conclude tina
Vaughn was entitled to the seat.
From this point Mr.. Phelps proceeded
to a discussion of national politics. HI
said the Republican party was now square
ly divided within itself, and that from thi
time until the national convention mex
year the contest between tho Grant OF
Radical, and the Blaine or Conservative
factions would be unremitting. He read
lily admitted that Grant was in the field
either for denomination or for the power
TO DICTATE THE NOMINATION
of his successor. He did not believe tina
Grant would be able to force his own re
nomination and thought he would give vi
all idea of being candidate before tn
time of holding the convention arrived
But he believed that Grant would tr,
nevertheless to make his influence para
mount in the convention and thereby t,
force the nomination of Conkling as hi
first choice after himself.
Mr.. Phelps said he was fully aware o
the power the Office. holders would hav,
toward forming the Republican nationa
convention in 1876. He was not inclne
to underrate the force of the machiner
which was embodied in the present enor
nous system of federal patronage. Blu
he believed that between this time ant
1876 feeling would be stirred up anon
the Republican masses which would over
whelm the Office holders and defeat thei
plans for packing the convention with tn
creatures of the administration. Tn,
Conservative Republicans might row b
said to form party. All they lacked wa
formal organization. They were repre-
sented IN the senate to the extent of min
or ten in numbers and vastly create
proportion than that of intelligence an
personal influence. They would be foun
to be
LARGELY IN TIE ASCENDANT
Al. ~