New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-07-14
AN INDEPENDENT SPEAKER.
THE PRESIDENT AND SOUTHERN MEN.

THE PRESIDENT AND SOUTHERN MEN,
HE THINKS CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATE OUGHT TO
DE ELECTED WITH HELP FROM THE SOUTH
DEMOCRATS WHO WOULD VOTE FOR GEN. BANKS.
TFRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRrBUsE.i
PHILADELPHIA, July ia prominent New-Eng-
land Congressman, who was in the city recently.
gave some interesting views TO the attitude OF the
President in relation TO the organization OF the
House and the probable action of the Democrats
Like most leading politicians nowadays, he had
a horror of interviews, and insisted that his name
should not be used. He said that at the meeting OF
the House, the Southern members who had approved
the Presidents policy toward their section would
be at tho parting of two roads, and would have to
take one or the other One was the road of friend
Illness toward the Administration, not involv-
ing necessarily an abandonment of their party,
but requiring at their hands constant opposition
to all schemes for assaiing the Presidents title The
other was to join hands with the Bourbon Democ-
racy Of the North who intend to make n factious
and bitter warfare upon Mr.. Hayes The President
and the Congressman has conferred an inestimable
benefit upon the South by relieving them Of Federal
interference The representatives Of that section
ask further favOrs at his hands-they want the Mis-
sssippi Valley protected from overflow by the con-
sructiOn of levees at Government expense and they
want Government aid for railroad from New Or
leans to the Pacific For these and other projects
of internal improvement they ask, essential to
their accomplishment, the Endorsement of the Presi-
dent. Now the President has a right to know
whether they are gong to bite the hand that gives
them bread. 1t is not to be expected that he will
shower fayors upon them after they avow their in
tention to aid the Northern Bourbons in an effort to
pnt him out of his Office If the House is organized
with Mr. Randall as Speaker, il means the President
is to be prosecuted with view of throwing discredt
upon his title and driving him from the White
House if possible. All who aid in such an organiza-
ton inform him in advance that they intend 10 ell
gage IN this reckless project.
The President, unlike Tyler and Johnson, has not
gone far in his departure from the policy OF the
leaders of his party that he cannot return. On the
contrary he is master of the situation. III the
Southern men show appreciation OF his Kindness
and Join with his relentless enemies he is free to
say to them that he has ceased to be their FRIEND
and will henceforth accept the advice OF Blame,
Morton aud Cameron i'll his conduct toward their
section.
The Congressman went to say that he had
talked with the President lately, and had learned
that he no longer expects that Republican Speaker
can be elected by the cooperation Of few Southern
Conservatives but that he does think that there
ought to be sufficient appreciation of bis course In
the South to induce a number of Its members to
support an Independent Candidate in opposition to
the Democratic caucus nominee. AS for himself, the
Congressman doubted whether there would be any
break in the solid Democratic vote from the
South. Tho men Of the South, he said, are
greedy for power, and eager to sectlonalize the
conduct of the National Government. They
imagine that they have only to hold
together until 1880 to accomplish this. There are in
dependent men among them who are not of the cur
rent way of thinking, and would be glad to organize
a HAYES party, but they are overawed by the public
sentiment of their section. and dare not act. Lit Is
possible that few of them may have the courage
next October to break away from their associates,
and insist that the House should not be organized
in hostility to the President He had little hope OF
this. however
In connection with theab0ve conversation. piece
of information obtained recently in Washington is
of interest A report is prevalent there among
Southern politicians that five six Southern DEM
ocrats of liberal tendencies ready TO vote Tor
Gen. Banks for Speaker. but on no account
support any more pronounced Republican.
Their preference for Gen. Banks Is SAID to
grow out of the fact that he was Greeley
man in 1872 and that he is the only man
in the new House who possesses marked ability AS
Presiding Officer Gen. Banks is still spoken of as
the model Speaker by all who remember his term in
the chair. If he should be brought ont as a can
ddate the plan would undoubtedly be for him to
be the nominee of a few Southern Democrats
remaining out of their party carcus and then. after
a few ballots, for the Republicans to drop their
candIdate-Garfied, probab!y-and unite with the
Independents to elect him. E.v.s.