Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-11-17
BEN BUTLER
SAYS the Tribune Hasn't!t the Original
Cipher DIspatches-RefusaI to An.
swer Concerning the Repub-
IIcan CIphers.

Interview telegraphed to Cincinnati Ga
zette: "Were you disappointed, general, In
the results of the Massachusetts election 2"
81 was not disappointed in one view of
the word. I supposed that | should be
elected. In that | was mistaken, but not
disappointed. | should have been elected if
it had not been for the most outrageous and
persistent bulldozing of the laboring men of
Massachusetts by their employers, which
changed thousands of votes. In one case
man had factory with very considerable
them down, three at time, IN his own prl-
vate carriage. He voted three, and then
went back for three more, and voted them,
and so on until he had gone through his
men. This Mississippi plan of bulldozing is
much more honorable and far more brave.
This is done with shotgun, and two men
can play at that. hope | shan't hear any
more talk from Republicans in congress where
l am about bulldozing negroes"
"You don't expect to retire from politics,
do you, general?"
'Retire, with one hundred and ten thou
sand men at my back? Pshaw! | have got
more votes against both of the old party or
CARNATIONS than any other man was elected
governor by, in Massachusetts, In nom
Presidential year, and u larger vote than any
man ever had who was defeated in any year,
l.
DO you think the Greenback party, as a
party, will continue in politics ?"
"You ask me whether the party, which has
increased seventy-fve per cent. IN two years,
is going out of politics? The question should
be whether it is not just coming in. 1t was
not factor in politics in 1876. Now 1t holds
the balance of power in all but three of the
northern States, as shown by the last vote.
The Tribune recognizes the fact that on the
money question the Republicans are beaten,
because it says safety is in Hayes's veto.
Well, perhaps"
"Do you think there is any perhaps about
that?''
Butler-It takes white oak man to veto,
not white pine one.
'You do not regard the result Of this cleo
ton, then, as a victory fcf hard money!"
''No; it is victory in one way for hard
money. 1t is about as much victory for
hard money as the battle of Bull Run was a
victory for the SOUTH which only aided IN its
more complete overthrow and destruction at
last. If the south had not won at Bull Run,
we should have patched up peace with them.
They would have saved their negroes, and
there would have been probably gradual
emancipation; bat having won the first bat
tie, they were encouraged to go on until In
the end came total destruction"
'tDo you favor illimitable issue of green
baeksF"
Il do not think anybody could possibly
have ever understood me In that way. ! have
never advocated it, never thought Of advo-
eating it, and it is simply one Of the misrep-
reservations and lies with which the public
mind has been fed. | cannot conceive how
any sensible man ever thought of it."
"Oo you favor paying the bonds IN green
backse''
wherever the contract will permit it.
''Do you think there is any hope of the
Greenback party electing the next Presi-
dent7'
81 do not know about that, That is thing
to be looked after when we come to it, If the
Greenback party grows as fast in the future
as it has since last election, the members are
very likely to make themselves felt then.
But that is question which need not be dis
cussed now"
"Will not the Presidential question be the
next one to come up"
The next question; that IS not the pres
ent question. The present question Is, how
ever, how the business men may get money
enough to enable them to live until 1880"
"What do you think of the cipher dis
patches?"
81 do not know whether they were prop
erly deciphered OR not: | do know that the
Tribune has got dispatches which it claimed
to decipher. 1t may have copies, but l do
not know that it has. | do know it has not
got all the originals
"Wbere are theyf'
"They are in perfectly safe keeping. l
know the Tribune has not got them, and
that part of this interview 1t won't pub
fish, either
II see it stated you have possession of
list of dispatches which Republicans sent. Is
that SOP"
81 am not bound to answer everything you
see in the papers,"
Returning to the southern question, do
you think there is any hope of breaking up
the solid south ?"
''Not in favor of the Republican party, so
they will get any advantage. Hayes sold all
that out for the sake of getting counted in,
and that has gone"
SIS there any chance of breaking it up in
favor of the Greenback party2"
"About that we cannot tell. As the
Greenback party has elected si1 representa-
tives in congress from the south, and the Re
publican party has only elected two, | think
our chances look as hopeful as the gRepubli-
can chances SO far as we have gone"
''Is there anything you have to say, or
want to say, in reply to Collector Boards at
tack on you, published on Sunday morning?"
''Oh, no; he is simply bankrupt slop-
shop clothes dealer, who has failed twice and
paid thirty cents on the dollar, and was
picked up by Hayes and put into the collec-
torship of Boston. He is of no consequence.
He is ike a fly in piece of amber. Such
flies are common enough. The only wonder
is, how the devil they got there"