New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-11-13
A TALK WITH B. f. BUTLER.
Confined from First Page.

always. because the moment we become more pros
Porous so that our people can buy what they want,
then the balance will turn the other way. IL Is
not a sign of prosperity when people cannot bny
what they want. II is a sign Of adversely, and the
reason why imports 80 small is that our peo-
pie are not able 10 get what they want. Men are
ec0n0mizing and putting aside what they want and
what they would use il they could get It.
Reporter--Do you not think this is explained by
our producing those things at home !
General Butler-We have for many years pro-
duced all the necessares of life at home
but men have not been contented until
now with the necessaries OF life. Now they
have to be cOntented without them. This Is IL.
You ask me if the country is not returning to pros
perity. | see no signs of it. Real estate is
not any higher. / do not see any. increase OF
manufactures. | see decrease of marriages
and a decrease of the brth-rate in my
own State. less proportion of children are born
and less proportion OF men go into wedlock, and
that is the surcst test of the prosperity OF
Il country. But let this resumption matter
fail and the question of business pros
penty will be tested very shortly. Mills
are shutting down with Us, and wages are being re-
duced II there is any very great increase OF ship
Plug IN York, or if the signs to let" are not
quito as numerous on Broadway, am not aware OF
the fact.
Reporter-Is there not less percentage of fail
urcsi
General Butler-BeCause cannot get dis
charges When the bankrupt law was I'D existence,
IL man could get a discharge II Ge failed,
but now he cannot. There is no way
for the creditor to cause the failure
OF the debtor, and there is way for the debtor to
gain anything by failing. But the percentage of
s,,i,i and
threats because of business depression keeps
mp, | notice. / would advise The TRIB-
UNE to make list of the announcements
Of that sort for the last six months or year, and
see how the percentage runs. II might give an
amusement for some of their reporters now, since
they have got through decipherng those dispatches
DENYING THAT THE TRIBUNE HAD THE CIPHER
ORIGINALS.
Reporter-What do you think Of those cipher dis
patchesf
General Butler-I don't know whether they were
properly decphered or not. L do know that
The TRIBUNE has not got the dispatches
which 1t has claimed TO decipher. 1t
may have copies, but do not know that it has.
do know it has not got all the originals.
RepOrter-Where are theyf
General Buter-They are in perfectly safe keep
ing. know The TRIBUNE has not got them; and
that part Of this nteryiewt won't publish. either"
Reporter-I see 1t stated that you have possession
of a lot OF dispatches which the Republicans sent
Is that sol
General Butler-I am not bound to answer every
thing you see in the papers,
Reporter-Nir Shupe. Editor of The AdrOcate said
in an interview the other day that you spent $780,
600 in the Massachusetts, election. Did he say
that by authority
CaroroI putlaP--NOt nv m authority.
WHAT TUE COUNTRY NEEDS TO REGAIN PROS
PERTIY.
Reporter-Well, to return to the prosperity OF the
country, what do you think the needs are for pros
perity-anything besides sufficient currencyf
General Butler-Yes Thereare plenty of needs.
Tue question of currency must be so adjusted that
men will know that everything they buy aud every
enterprise they start will not DO on falling market,
az it has been for years past. They must know
that values Will be enhanced in the future, instead
of diminished or else they won't undertake TO deal
IN any property. They must know that IN the
future the volume of money will be increased to
meet the wants of the people, or else they won't go
into any enterprises. There must also be some
means devised by which the income received from
bonds, whether United States or other, shall
not escape taxation. Otherwi o all property will
seek investment of that form in order to escape
taxation and not go into business where it would
be open to taxation hen it is the paramount duty
of the United States to afford instant temporary
relief to the laborng man by pushing all Its public
works, which they find it necessary and
proper TO construct, with the utmost vigor.
and then provide in the future for the means
of settling the workingmen upon the Western
lands and getting them out of the cities, so as to
give room for all to work that are left. When those
things are done we shall have good times, provided
we get sufficiently scorched by the failure of the
RESUMPTION experiment not to burn our fingers with
it again.
Reporter-Mr. Seymour says we need to change
our navigation laws and to seek new markets
abroad. Is that your yiewl
General Buter-Seeking foreign markets for our
manufactured goods is putting our labor upon
equal footing with foreign labor as to wages.
should not look upon that as great sign of
prosperity. l should prefer that in some way the
condition Of our labOring men should DO improved
above the condition of foreign labor and then they
could consume our products here because they
would have something to pay for them, which they
have not now, and therefore We have to seek mar
kets abroad.
Reporter-What do you think about the change
in our navigation lawsI
General Butler-I have always advocated dis
eliminating duty in favor of American bottoms.
Our fathers built up American commerce, and it
was destroyed, not by any act of Congress, but by
the folly of the stupid people sent out as foreign
ministers, each Of whom thought he must make
treaty so as to immortalize himself; and so each
treaty cut into our navigation laws until they are
substantially abrogated.
THE FISHERIES AND SOUTHERN QUESTIONS
Reporter-What do you think of the present
phase of the fishery question:
General Butler-I never had but one opinion upon
the surrender of our rights by the Treaty of WASH
ington in the fisheries down to the award. The
.o.e,r,,ouca I'm my INDIGNANT hos