The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-11-20
SENATOR BAYARD,S VIEWS
A Calm Review of the Political
Situation - Local Self-GOV-
ernment--The Loss of Thur
man--The Need of the
South fOrsympatly and
Respect Rather Than
LEGISLATION.

mai--The Need OF the
South lfOrsympathy and
Respect Rather Than
Legislation.
To a representative of the Philadel
: phia Times, who visited him OH Sun
day, Senator Bayard talked informall
for three hours. Mr.. Bayard wen
abroad entirely, as he says, on Mrs
Bayard's account, to enable her t.
! visit the springs OF Bohemia. He hac
lost the run of politics, he said, ST
much confusion had there been, espec
tally in the ranks of the Democrati,
party. The election in New Yorl
was still in doubt as to figures, and NJ
one could tell, he thought, what th,
result precisely meant. The demo
Gratis of that State have yielded to pas
sion and personal differences, while
the Republicans have worked united
ly. Parties are only the means to al
end. Ifthe cause is a worthy one, Of
course every worthy means that would
tend to success is to be cherished
But if parties are to become mere
matter OF. personal ambition and par.
tisan wrangle, then the future of the
country is not worth talking about.
Senator Bayard said: 81 know nothing
of New York politics, and more than
that l never knew any one OUTSIDE Of
New York who did. The State is in
itself a very vast community. There
are ive million active and intelligent
people there, being the center of the
commerce and wealth of the Union.
State affairs there always overrule Fed
edal affairs, and the result is, that the
rest of us, who live in small commu-
mites in which the national feeling
overrules all others, cannot judge of
the men and events to whom such
considerations are secondary in poll
tics"
Speaking of this dominant idea in
New York politics, which subordinates
national issues to State affairs, Senator
Bayard said: II am great believer
in local self-goverment as the only
means of perpetuating our Union. l
do not believe the Union can be sue
cessfully governed unless people of
each state are allowed to control their
domestic affairs. 1t is the school of
American citizens. A child to walk
must not be forbidden to take his first
step into the nursery"
To the question why the Democrat,
ic party had drifJed away from its old
moorings, Senator Bayard said: 81
think there has been Il palpable lack
of purpose. They have been in oppo-
sition. They have been so long ex-
lied from power that they have not
been willing to wait calmly and quiet
ly the vindication of their principles.
There has been IL moral blindness in
the manner Of their political manages
ment in taking up the cast-otf expedi,
ents Of their opponents. That has
been to me most marvellous thing,
that men should be content to pick up
these discarded expedients. | think
that this result has been rather the
work of a class than cfa popular move
ment. Hard run spectators have
been very willing to use the great or
ganization to improve their personal
condition"
Senator Bayard spoke at great
length upon the false economy of ne
gro slavery. President Lincoln's
proclamation was, he thought, a real
benefit to the whole south, and he has
never seen any one at the south who
was not glad when slavery was at an
end.
As for the Presidential question,
Senator Bayard said that his country
men seemed to be so sensational that
it was difficult to know what their
opinions really were. ''There is a
general desire" he said, ''for the vel
fare Of the country and the preserva>
ton of our good government, that is
very far beyond anything like person
al championship" Senator Bayard
would not speak of a remedy.
On the manipulation of machinery
in politics, $50 long" he said, "as our
elections are free, our people have it
in their power, not only to avoid the
repititions of mistakes, but to retrace
their steps, therefore, | think that an
intelligent self interest, though it may
not prevent the people from blunder-
ing, will always instruct them to re-
cover from the errors, provided the
safety-valve Of free elections is left
open"
Speaking of Mr.. Thurman, Mr.. Ba-
yard said, ''If Senator Thurman is to
be out of the senate, | look upon it as
a very great loss to this country. 1
think his defeat, if such it be, is great
ly to be deplored. and that every man
in the country ought so to regard it.
He is a man of the most perfect pu-
rity of character, and of first class
abilities.
To the question that the great fight
would be between Blaine and Conk-
ling, Senator Bayard said, 'In all
these mere personal struggles l take
very little interest, ard have no knowl-
edge. l know nothing Of them, and
do not want to know. Suppose one
or the other of these men become
President, what would it indicate ?
They are both well known, both have
been long time before the public,
and their characters are pretty well
understood. l have never agreed with
them in their opinions or their course