Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1879-07-17
Odds and Ends.
INT sRvIEw WITH HON. JOHN 6OOOg-
WHAT SENATOR RANSOM THINKS OF
THE REsULT--AN AVENUE
TALK WITH FRANK
AIERIEND

TALK WITH FRANK
ALFRIEND.
Correspondence Richmond Dispatch,l |
The more people think about
the results reached during the ex-
ira session the more they are i'm I
pressed with the wisdom Of the /
men who control the destinies of
the Democratic party. The Re- !
publicans see that what they want-
ed done was not done, and that |.
neither the army nor the Govern
ment has been starved to death by |
Confederate brigadiers."
The Hon. John Goode, who reps
resented Virginia on the joint con-
gressional caucus committee, often
encouraged me, when less prudent
Democrats were declaring that it
was the duty of the party to ad-
journ Congress and go home with
out passing any of the appropria-
tions. Meeting him after the close
of the session [ asked him his
opinion in regard to the results.
His face lighted up as he replied =
"Why, the repeal of the test oath
alone was worth more to our peo-
pie and party than a dozen extra
sessions cost either in time, money,
or anxiety, for it gives the South
ern people perfect exemption from
persecution from partisan juries."
Abiding to the operation of the
test oath in Florida, South Caro-
lima, and Louisiana, he gave viv.
id picture of not only what had
been done, but what wicked things
had been mapped out for accom-
plishment in the event there had
been no extra session. He i'm
pressed me strongly, too, with his
remarks on the Importance of bav-
ing organized both houses of Con
gress before December, and con
vinced me ihat.if this had not been
dcne the Radicals were prepared
to resort to stupendous frauds to
have gotten control Of the House,
if not of the Senate also. "We
have done,' he said, lust what the
Republicans did not want us to do,
for their programme was to force
US to adjourn without providing
for the army, the courts or the de-
partments j; and yet we have made
all needful appropriations for these
without any sacrifice of principle
or duty. That we have not done
all the people wanted is not the
fault" he said, "of the Democratic
congressman, but of the Republi-
cans, who, backed by the veto and
the power to filibuster in the
House, have fought with a desper.
alton worthy of a better cause to
keep the obnoxious laws on the
statute books. In q word" said
he, "we have made the issues oI
free elections and honest julies
and whero is the American audi-
ence that will not respond heartily
to the speaker who advocates then
upon the hustings p
SENATOR RANSOM, OF NORTH CAROLINA
, Cool aud deliberate when 9th e
people are excited, always as WIS.,
ss he is chivalrous, North Caro-
lina's senior Senator never los
faith for a moment that the wis
dom of the party would ultimatel
triumph, aud when [ would 60 t.
I him for advice at the most critica
: moments of the session he woul
J say. 'All will come right, aud til
y Democratic party will gain by til
extra session, ard make the wa
C clear for splendid triumph il
e 1880" During these interviews
5 could SEQ why Gordon, Lamar, al
II other Senators have such unwavel
81 ing confidence in the cool luds
7 ment of Ransom, and why he ca
accomplish SO much more IN
quiet way than some others do t
- stormy encounters. met hi
a coon after my interv.ow with Coco
i AID his comments on the work a
compllshed and the issues mac
. agreed in substance with those
'e the member from the Norfolk di
III tricr. He said that the Republican
II feel that they have lost greatly /
J. the session, and that their blood,
lS shirt efforts have failed to stir ,
III sectional hatred as they had anti
ipated He agreed with me th
they had actually lost more
their advocacy of the continuati'
at of the quinine monopoly than th
an gained by anything done to Q
disadvantage during the sessic
vs Senator Ransom in conclusion, {
re- clared with emphasis that it "
impossible to over-estimate t
tn Importance of having called t
tn attention of the whole country
the outrages and injustice comm
os ted by the use of troops at t
an an polls and the use of deputy M
shals to control elections IL
cities. The people now, by reas
-, ~ of the debates of the extra s,
,rv sion. understand these issues in
- of their enormity, and will be pl
b:s pared to vote on them in 1880.
ye. WHAT MR.. ALFRIEND SAID.
big After leaving Senator Ransor