, 1875-03-29
WILLIAM WALTER PHELPS.
What He Thinks Of tho Gcnornl
Sjtuution.
Hopes, Fears, and Tribulattons Of tho
Conservative Republicans.

TIE Hon. William Waiter phelps. sx.Republ!can
member OF Congress- from Nsw Jersey, Aftcr spon1-
ing couple Of days in this city. loft yesterday
for tho South, intending toatop at Little l!ocs en-
roule Whtlst, bore Republican reporter called
to SOC him. aud tie following is tho nat result nf
tho interview. 11r. T. wra appointed hr the
Committee Of Arbitration recently in sesalon in
Now York to tl.st the dcclafon OF comprpnlSs
sottled upon by that Cnmmt!ne tA faithfully car
find out.
OF course, the subject Of most lntercat 10
Mr. pholpa at this moment Ia the duty Which
ho ia now On Ills wny TO discharge. lie gave
quito ; history Of tho n1aunor In Which tho
original investigation whs conducted by lltmsolf
and Mossrs. Foster aud Potter at Now oreans,
and then branchcd OF upon tho subsequent ill.,
veetigatlon BY Huars Committer; but these
tnattssa arc not OF any present interest.
He was = Republican Of the Btraightost acct,
ns ths hpnora6lo traditlouB OF htH pArty Weut,
but In tlis matter Ae did not hesitate 10 nny
present Administration we're at tho bottom OF
all these troubles. Dir. Phelps thcn guve an
account OF tie nlodus oporandi Of the *r0lra-
tion.
discussion Of national politics. llo said tho lto-
publican party waa now bguareII dlvidcd within
ITSELF and that from this t!mo until the National
Convention moxt year tho contest hotween tlo
Grant, Or Hadlcal. aud tile Blaine, or Consefva-
tive, factions would be unromttttng. lie readily
admitted that araut was In tho field either for u
denomination or for the rowof
To DICTATE TMH NOMINATION
of ilis succossor. l{o did not boiinVe thRt Grant
would be Ablo to force Ills own nomination, mud
thought ho would give up all idea OF being
candidate before tho limo of holding tho Con-
sunt!on srriyea. Dut be- believed TINT atant
would try, noscrtlcless. to make his iniluenca
paramount in Tho Convention, aud thereby to
fin hnuiirafin nf ft1rtnr q 31fH iIrRk
chotoo after himself.
Mr Phelps Hatl ho MAS fully aware OF the
power tho ofice-holders would have toward
forming Tho lsspublican National Convention In
1870. lie was not incliuea to undetrate the
fofco Of the machinery which whs embodied in
tho present enormous system OF Federal petfon-
ago. But he belleyed tint bot.oon this time and
1916 feeling would bo etirrea up among tle
oflico-holdots aud dofeat thoir plaus for packing
tho Convention with the creatures Of tie AL-
ministrattou, The Conservative Republicans
might now he said to form party. All thoy
lnckcd waB formal organization. They Ware rel-
resented In tue Senate to tho axtont Of nine us
ten i'll number, and vastly creator proportion
than that Of intelligence and personal Influence.
They would be found to bo
LARGELY IN THE ASCENDANT
In the Republican minority in tho ucxt House.
Mr. Dlalno would be tlelr natusa! leader. ltwas
true that Blaino had not ni!od tho measure OF
his opportunity uhon the Fulco blu was under
discussion in the House. but blu failure to tako
q doc'dod stand, Or a. least his failnie to tais
was OK l!cable upon grounds that loft 10 impu-
tatlon upon ha sincerity Of purpoIo or bin conr-
ngc Of conviction. The fight over tho Force bill
WaA carried 90 bY the rag-tag- hnd-bohtaN. Mz.
Dlaino strongly desired to 10 OH the record against
tho measure, but ho aaw no opportunity to do so
without descending into tho muck and miro Of
. contest with Butler aud hts unsAyory ad-
hetents, aud % the 6Peakcl conteutad limselt
ArHfb,
tue bill in quot way. Alr: Phelps dld not pro-
sutne tlat Mr. Blaino could have actually ACCOM-
pliHhcd by speech on tlo floor my mora than
10 u1d W Tue course he elected Or quiet personal
opposition. The mon who votod for tAe Force
1lIl would noe nave poeh deferred llom uolnG 70
by speech from blaine. And those who voted
against It we're ce1ta!n to DO so whether 10 made
, speech o. not. Ihoae who voted Tor lilo bill
wcro mostly mon ol tue point Of fetlracy from
public lile. IAero was .....
scuortE1p or PENNSYLVANIA,
Tor 'nstance- A. heart scholicla was opposed to
any more repsesslFo or sectional galation. Dut
eGhoilcld naa beon notined 10 quit bY lla COLI
situonta. TIC mnnt look out f9s himself Ilsro
wah prospective unltou States judges
SLIP In tannsy!vanla, Which ho wanted
ut . provision for his declining years !;
and he knew that no man who voted against tho
torco bill need asA any 1aEots OF Grnnt. This
vision over the Forca bill showed party. Of at
!eask thirty Conservative llepublicons IN tie
uouss Of Representatives. II everybody had
ooon re-elcctod last fa!l he had no doubt but a
have voted against tho Force bill. regardless OF
The w,Shcs OF the President. But defeated men,
With gloomy future De1oro tlenl, could not 10
expected TO flse to that oxbatat!on OF cslns
pnilosopny Wh.ch IL the essence OF tsuo ata'es-
mauship: Under such circumstances men aro
very apt TO look OUT for Nc. l and lot tho
country look out for iteelf. And with
auun MAN CHANT