The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-09-11
AT HICKMAN.
INTERVIEWED.
The Hon. Franklin Landers ON the
Situation.

The Hon. Franklin Landers ON the
Situation.
New Albany Ledger-Standard, Aug. 3O.l
The Hon. Frank Landers, of Indianapolis,
arrived in the city last evening, and i'm
mediately made for the Central hotel. A
large number of friends collected around
him, and talking was kept up until 10
o'clock, after which hour one OF the Ledger
Standards hired men accompanied him to
his room for the purpose OF an interview
the courteous exponent of the Indiana
''idee" having cheerfully granted an audi.
ence to an old acquaintance.
The ex-congressman was feeling tired, and
somewhat sleepy, but nevertheless, was
willing to be interviewed, and after a short
conversation on home affairs, the following
interview took place:
Reporter-From your observations, what
figure do you think the national party will
cut in the coming election?
Mr.. Landers-Oh l do not think they will
cast much of vote. You see the demo
cratic party offers everything that they can
ask, and it is natural that they should vote
with US.
R-How about it in the Seventh district?
What will be done there?
Mr. 1.-The democrats will indorse DIR.
De La Matyr, the national nominee for con-
gress.
R.--Whst is your idea about the adyisa-
bility of such a course?
Mr. LII think 1t a good move, and DIR.
De La Matyr will be elected.
R.-Do you think the democrats will carry
the legislature?
Mr.. Undoubtedly. But then l am the
m 1st saDguine man you ever saw.
R-Whst will be the result?
Mr.. 1.-The election of Mr.. Voorhees, to
the senate and the redistricting of the state
Rim some counties IN our own, for in.
stance, the republicans have made no NOM
nations for the legislature, and will have to
support the national nominee or not vote at
all. Whe- these nominees assert that they
will not vote for democrat for senator, the
republicans will undoubtedly support them
in the hope of defeating the democratic
nominee. What do you think of that?
Mr.. la coalition between the nationals
and the republicans is an unnatural alliance,
it can not be an honest one, and it is not
according to the principles they advocate.
The nationals can not go to the republicans
honestly.
Here some FARTHER desultory conversation
ensued, during which the state house ques-
ton was brought up, and Mr.. Landers ex-
pressed a belief that the contract for the
glass will be given to New Albany, and In
his opinion all the material should be fur
nished by Indiana. The paid ambassador of
the LIS. then brought his guns to bear upon
the target he had been figuring for all the
time and shot off as follows:
R.-Mr Landers it has been source of
considerable wonder in this section to know
why you voted against Mr.. Kerr for speaker
of the house while in congress.
Mr.. LII never voted against Mr.. Kerr in
the house. In the caucus | supported Sam
Randall, but when l saw the election of Mr..
Kerr was foregone conclusion, 1 did not
vote at all
R.-What, may ask, were your reasons for
not supporting Mr.. Kerr?
Mr.. LII knew he would organize the
house on hard money, contraction plan,
and L could not support that.
R.-Further than his position on the finan-
cial question you had nothing against Mr.
Kerr?
Mr.. L.-No. Our personal relations were
always of the most friendly nature, and he
was just as honest In his belief a, l was in
mine. and when you geta man who believes
in what he breaches, he is the most stub
born man in the world, aud impossible to
convince otherwise. 1 never was able to do
anything with the financial question until
after Sayler got in.
R.-This financial question is being pretty
generally discussed?
Mr.. L.-(considerably intimately / never
saw anything like it. Why, its the only
thing you hear talked of anyw here. / tell
you, people are studying into the question.
R.-That naturally leads me to the Next
can and trade dollar question. What do you
think of Lindermans circular depreciatIng
trade dollars2
Mr.. L 1t is a scheme to bring silver
money into disrepute. Sherman should
have given notice that trade dollars would
be received IN exchange for the legal tender
dollar at the treasury, and then there would
have been no trouble about it. AS it now
stands it is simply speculation in the in.
terest of the banks, and against the poor
/ people.
R.-Mr. Landers, the republican papers
charge that in June, 1877, a house bill rela-
/ tive to the COINAGE of silver being before the
senate, an amendment was adopted provid-
/ ing that the trade dollar shall not hereaf-
ter be legal tender" The bill went to the
house so amended, where the Hon. Sam
Randall moved to concur in the amendment
of the senate, and his motion was agreed TO
/ by a vote of ITO yeas to As nays, and that
among the democrats who voted to concur
! in the senate amendment abolishing the
legal tender quality of the trade dollar were
Messrs. A. H. Hamilton, Holman and your
self.
Mr. L "A part of that's true, but they leave
! out the most essential part of it. When
that bill came to the house, Mr.. Randall
moved a concurrence in the senate amend
ment, but moved to amend Mr.. Randall's
motion by making the standard silver dol
lar of 412% grains full legal tender, and
on that motion made the first speech ever
made in congress on the subject. / had
been working all the time to agitate that
question and get vote on it, and here was
my opportunity. My amendment was
/ accepted by vote of III to So, and then it
was that Mr.. Randals motion, with my
amendment was adopted by the vote of ITO
to 40. OF course 1 voted for it. 1t then
went to the senate, but they refused to &C
cept my amendment, and when it came
back to the house, stripped of my amend
ment, Hamilton, Holman and myself all
voted against it, and / have answered the
same charge once before, and my reply was
published in full in the Sentinel two weeks
/ ago. .
1t was now getting late, and Mr.. Landers
was evidently sleepy, so the reporter babe
him good night. Good night" replied the
man who once narrowly escaped being gov
ernor.