The daily gazette., 1878-11-19
SECOND EDITION
ALEXANDER II. STEPHENS.

ALEXANDER III. STEPHENS.
The Georgia Statesman on the Recent
Electi0ns-A "Reminiscences by Way Of
Hllstration-Prospects of the Demo-
cracy for 1SS0-The Southern Policy.
WASHINGTON, Nov. IT, 1873.
In answer to the question to-day what,
in his belief, had been the effect of the
money issue in the recent campaign upon
the Northern democracy, Mr.. Alexander
II. Stephons said :-'I really do not be-
iieve that the money issue direct had any
thing more to do with the loss OF Con-
necticut, New Jersey and New York
than did the famous Kansas bill have the
effect supposed at the time on the cleo
tions of 1854. That year we came out
of The fight with only sixty-seven Con-
gressmen left, and it was feared all
through the South that the party had lost
because of the passage Of the Kansas bill
which left it optional with the citizens OF
Kansas, then Territory, whether or not
they would admit slavery into their con-
stitution. Howell Cobb was returned to
Congress, but he, like all the rest, was
rather fearful of the election for Presi-,
dent, thinking this tidal wave. l
laughed at them all. L we'll remember
a meeting we had right here in town. 1t
was the first time l had ever acted with
the democracy. They laid their views
+ down and / disagreed. 1t seemed to ME
that it was all smoke, and so ventured
to predict that if they would come out
boldly and maintain the correctness Of
the principle embodied in the Kansas
bill, namely, that each State and Terri
tory should be left to make its own laws,
fthey would elect their President. My
advice was taken and Buchanan went in.
4 But the party was panic stricken over
that affair, just as 1t is now about the
, financial issue. When / went into Penn
4 sylvania to stump for Buchanan, Josiah
Randall, the present Speakers father,
importuned me not to give vent to any
views in favor of the Kansas bill. But
told him that would speak my mind or
say nothing. He consented finally, and
the audience was in full sympathy. We
carried the State" .-...
THE CURRENCY QUESTION.
sWhat, then, do you think the trou-
ble?"
"Well, it is really very difficult to tell'
1t seems to me very foolish TO make any
predictions as to 1880, either as to candi-
date or issue, because there is every prob
J bility that new subjects will be present
ed. 1 am very sure that the money ques-
, ton in its present shape will be dead.
,, My own views are positive enough.
believe in honest money and plenty Of it.
, At present we evidently have not enough
: for the demands of trade-not enough tc
: start up the industries of this country.
t think it would have been wise for the
: House to have passed the bill we matur-
!, ed in the Committee of Coinage, Weights
, and Measures, which provided for the l.
! sue of silver certificates to be used in the
: place of bullion. We cannot turn out
the bullion fast enough. Three more
T mints are required. France to-day is the
best fiscal nation on earth, because she
never allows the currency to fall short oi
demand. AS to Resumption, very
much fear that after January l, 1870, we
shall be like the man operated on for
: fever, the fever went, but the man was
, dead.
THE PROSPECTS FOR 1880.
"What of 1880, then, Mr.. Stephens ?"
: Well, we need two things-more lead
. ers, or rather better ones, and perfectly
: national spirit. We are not able at pre-.
sent to call the roll four great men witt
: much success. | have been many years
in public life and have seen the rise and
!, fall of many eminent public men and as
| l look back am forced to confess that
, almost the only great leader the democra
5 cy has had was Stephen A. Douglas
Silas Wright was very capable sort OF
3 wheel horse, but Douglas had tile brains
If the platform for 1880 is carefully drawn
and an excellent and national spirited
man nominated see no reason why the
/ democracy cannot win."
THE PRESIDENTS POLICY.
"What do you think of these reports
of change in the Presidents poiicy?"
! In my opinion they are nonsense
There is no such word as "policy." 1t is
Presidents business and bound duty te
: administer the laws of the country, moth.
: ing more. do not see how his present
J position can possibly be construed into
t any change of policy whatever. If the
democrats of the South have been guilty
of fraud at the ballot box it is the Pres.
! ident's duty to prosecute each case he
! can find. There is no policy in that. II
! is law. I
"What is the strength of the indepen-
: dent movement in Georgia ?" -tr
GEORGIA POLITICS.
"The ideas as to that are very gener-
|, ally wrong. The independence is all
! confined within the democratic ranks
i simply as to choice of men. The rep
resentatives we send are all Simon Pure
+ democrats. We shall have a majority
of four over all in the next Congress, as
l calculate"
"What do you think was the effect Of
that letter of Senator Hill, wherein he
attacted the administration ?"
Senator Hill made a great mistake
and it reacted on the party. 1t is very
clearly demonstrated that we cannot win
Inv a xubolasala assault IN the President