The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-09-25

terviewed, and complains that he is con-
stantly misrepresented by persons whom
he meets socially, and who turn out to
be writers for newspapers. There are
nice shades of meaning to words, he says,
and very often he uses certain words with
deliberation and others somewhat syn
onymous, but still conveying wrong
impression, are put in his mouth. Thus,
for instance, he complains that not long
ago he was quoted in the Philadelphia
Times in language that gave the impress
sion that he considered Mr.. Hayes Ad.
ministration very weak, whereas the
truth is he considers Mr.. Hayes "a very
good President" and believes that he has
had the interests of all the country at
heart, and administered to the best of
his capacity.
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES.
The statement that has been made to
the effect that Mr.. Stephens favors Gen.
Hancock as the Democratic nominee for
next President he acknowledges as true,
but says he has no opinion on the subject
for the public. General Hancock is
simply his personal choice of those who
have been named, because he is a high
minded gentleman, is eminently qualified
for the position, and would be strong
candidate. He does not like Mr.. Tilden
for anything, did not support him before,
and would not if he should be nominated
again. When asked to state his objec-
tions to Mr.. Tilden, he shook his head
with decided negation, saying: "He's
not the man; but 1 don't care to express
any opinion on the subject He might
carry New York again, but don't know
about anything else" Of Wade Hamp-
ton as possible candidate for Vice Pres
ident, he said that it was not worth
speaking about, as he could command no
influence at all outside of his own State.
"You may depend upon it," said Mr..
Stephens, "that there will be no Southern
man on the ticket; but it is all matter
of surmise this telling of Presidential
candidates in advance. Since the days
of James Polk no one has been able to
tell within reasonable certainty who the
candidate was going to be. 1t has al
way UcCu oOl4lC OuS WIZ WAS uCU pOpu-
larly expected. Why, no one knew
that Hayes was going to be nominated
two days before it happened. Still, it
proved a very good nomination"
In answer to what he thought of Mr..
Bayard, he said he thought well of him;
he was statesman and a man to COM
mand wide respect. He did not think it
would be much out of the way, however,
to surmise that the Democratic nominee
for President would be some one who has
not been prominently mentioned. A
famous Judge in his native State once
said that if there was one thing on earth
not foretold in the knowledge of God it
was the verdict of packed jury, and in
the opinion of Mr.. Stephens it was pretty
near the same in regard to Presidential
nominations.
CONDITION OF THE SOUTH.
Although he was shy on political ques-
tions, MIR. Stephens talked quite freely in
relation to the condition Of the South.
The talk about the negro exodus he de.
nominated as "bosh," a word he repeated
several times, and said that the popular
feeling in the South, taking it as whole,
was that the negro, like anybody else,
could go away if he wanted to at any
time, and come back again if he wanted
to in the same way. No restrictions were
placed upon the colored race in the
South, and whatever privileges their
emancipation brought them they were
allowed. Speaking for his own State, he
could say that there were more white
p,0rlr fho,, fba~o
were negroes, and it had been so ever
since the war. Both whites and blacks
own places of their own, and both whites
and blacks are hired out. The white
man has been forced to come in compe-
tition with the negro as laborer, and
neither of them get very much for their
hire. 1t is all mistake to talk about
the future prosperity of the South.
| What we are to look after is the pros
perity of the nation. Relatively, and
taking all things into consideration, be-
lieve the South is just as prosperous now
as the North, which is not saying great
deal. We talk of the interests Of the
| West and the interests of one section and
another, as if it was not the nation that
should be considered. 1t is not fair to
take an isolated State like Mississippi,
which has more of the characteristics of
the West than of the South, and hold it
up as the type of other States. No, sir,
the great question of the day with the
masses of the people in the South, as we'll
as in other parts of the country, is not
who is going 10 be the next President.
Only the politicians, and comparative
few outsiders, are anxious about that.
The masses of the people are concerned
about the question of bread and butter,
and how they are going to earn little
more money for their families. This is
the momentous question of the day be-
yond doubt in the South.
In all he said there was strong spirit
of reconciliation and unanimity about
Mr.. Stephens. He spoke with great
pleasure of the fraternal feeling which
animated the House Committee on Rules,
composed of men representing the ex-
treme North and South, and stated that
whenever anything came up that they all
could not agree upon, it was dropped by
| mutual consent. Hence, the action of
the committee was unanimous through
out.