The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1876-08-31
SENATOR BOOTH.
Why the California Independent Senator
so Heartily supports Hayes and Wheeler.
From the Indianapolis Journal


[From the indianapolis Journal
Senator Booth of California, arrived in this
city yesterday morning, and is stopping with
his brother-in. law, Judge Harrington. A jour
nal representative called upon the Senator last
night for the purpose of ascertaining the Sem
atOr's views upon public affairs. Arriving at
Judge Tarkington's our representative found
the Senator the center of a group of friends,
but was soon enabled to obtain an audience
with the distinguished gentleman.
Mr.. Booth said that the tender Of the second
place on the Independent ticket was complete
surprise to him, for while he entertained a
very high regard for Mr.. Cooper personally,
and esteemed it an honor to have his name as
ISOLATED with that gentleman, yet he had never
expressed himself as being In full accord with
the greenback movement. He supposed that
his nomination was made on account OF his
having been an advocate of the interconverti-
BILE bond theory, and because of his election as
United States Senator by the Independent "
party in California. The Independent party in
California was not to be COMPOUNDED with the
National Independent party. The former was
a political necessity IN his State, organized to
break up monopolies, and had no connection as
such with the National party in fact was pure
ly local political organization.
The Senator further stated that he declined
the nomination at once, being convinced that
the time had not yet arrived for the possible
success of either his financial theories or those
of his greenback friends. He handed the
delegation that waited upon him his letter of
declinAtion, but they begged that they might
be allowed to withhold its publication until
after the first of July. As their communica-
tons with him had been of a very courteous
and pleasant nature he assented, and suffered
them to take it away without his retaining
press copy, but he was astonished to find that
up to this time they had neglected to give it to
the public. 1t placed him in the position OF
treating them with discourtesy, or Of being
unable to determine the matter within reason
able time.
Speaking of the issues of the present cam
paign, Senator Booth said the general result
depended largely on the Indiana and Ohio
elections. One remarkable inconsistency in
the Democratic party was that while in the
East the Democrats were for hard money, the
Democrats of the West construed the st. Louis
platform as dt claring for soft money. His
own State California; would, like the
rest, be influenced by the result of the
October elections. The financial ques-
ton, however, did not aff1ict it badly,
as it had always been for hard money, using
none other for several years, and the success
of the soft and hard money doctrine was not an
important factor in the politics OF the Pacific
slope. Yet the fact must not be overlooked
that Mr.. Tilden had many friends there on ac-
count of his hard-money utterances. He felt
sure, however, that California would go Re-
publican because of it's Union proclivities. He
was of opinion that the financial question
would not decide the coming Presidential cleo
ton, and that the greenback party could not
carry State ticket. He doubted even if they
had full State ticket anywhere outside of In
DIANA In some States, as in Tennessee, they
had no ticket The Democratic greenbackers
would, by the time the election took place. cast
their votes for Tilden and Hendricks. On the
other hand the Republicans who held to the
greenback theory were a class of reading men,
and with their characteristic tenaciousness
would probably stand to their fragmentary
ticket and vote for Cooper and Cary. They
cannot win, said the Senator, but they will
assert their opinions The greenbackers were
Widespread owe" the continent, but not an ele-
ment of strength outside Indiana, and even
there their doctrines paled beside the impor-
lance of the other issues of the campaign.
He believed that one great imminent danger
to the Republican party was this: That the
masses, suffering from the hard times or the
past two years. may fall into the erroneous be-
lief that change Of Government is all that is
needed to better their condition, and would
readily follow the direction pointed ont by the
demagogues of the Democratic party. Care
should be taken to disabuse the minds of the
people of the impression that Government
had ANYTHING whatever to do with seasons of
financial suffering among the people In re-
ply to question Mr.. Booth said that he would
take an active part in the campaign for the
election of Hayes and Wheeler. He was
anxious to get home to California to attend to
his private affairs as well as to aid In the sue
cess of the national Republican ticket IN that
State but, if possible, after short visit to his
old home at Terre Haute, he would deliver
few speeches in Indiana before his hnal depar-
ture for the far West.