Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-02-10
BRAGG's OPINIONS.
The Chairman Of the House Committee on
Military Afatrs on tho Political Sft"a-

fion.
Interview in Chicago Times.
"Will the Democratic members attempt to
fight the army appropriation bill this Year,"
~ have not heard anything of any such in
tention. believe that most of the appro-
priations have been reported on, but have
not paid much attention to the matter, and
can not say if anything has been done with
the army BILL"
GAS the Democratic party claims to be the
free-trade party, is it not little strange that
no decided effort has been made by the
party, since it obtained control of Congress,
to repeal
THE PROTECTIVE TARIFF LAVISH"
"There seems to be an opinion that it Is
not advisable to attempt to pass any general
law repeating the present tariff law, and that
1t would be better to repeal the tariff on the
several articles by separate acts. If good
tariff law. providing for needed revenue,
sirable, but the bill prepared by Fernando
Wood last year was not of nature to enlist
much support from the West"
VOulA IL AOb 10 BOoo ROAOy AL wv RssA ~
to agitate this matter as much as possible in
order to create new issue in time for the
Presidential campaign9"
at would, certainly. But Wood, who is
chairman of the ways and means committee,
has had the matter in charge, and no favor
able action may be looked for from him. l
understand, however, that there are major
ity of free traders on the committee, and it
is possible that they may be able to fight
Wood. The West and South are both GER
tainly in favor of free trade, and believe
that any good free trade bill could be passed.
Morrison, of this State, is on the committee,
and I think it likely that he will attempt
some move in the matter.
"Do you not think that the party would
gain more in the Western States than it
would lose in Eastern by making a vigorous
free trade fight, and that the party would
stand better before the country in fight
with the President than on the army appro-
priation bill?"
eyes, it would certainly be better for the
party, not only in the West, but in the whole
country. The great bulk of the people are
consumers and but few are benefited by the
protective tariff. The newspapers are now
quite alive to the disadvantages of the pres
emit revenue laws, and would be more than
likely to favor their repeal. am quite Ger
tain that the present Congress will
REMOVE TIE TARIFF ON PAPER.
This will not be very likely however, to keep
such powerful allies as the newspapers in
favor of free trade. I believe that if the
Democratic party were to attempt to carry
through repeal of tho whole protective
tariff it would have the Import of the prin-
cipal papers of the country. But the party
has not attempted any free-trade legislation
since 1874"
"Wbat chance of success do you think the
party will have in
THE COMING PRESIDENTIAL oAMPAIaN?"
at is very difficult to say at present.
Every thing is very quiet now, and if it will
only stay that way I see no reason why we
may not win, if good conservative man re-
ceives the nomination for President, and
the party support only conservative meas
ures."
Chow are the Southern members conduct
ing themselves this winter?"
"Very we'll, indeed. No fault can be found
with them.''
"Is there any truth in the talk that any Of
the Southern members are dissatisfied with
the party, and will support Grant if he is
nominated?"
"Not word. All they want is to have
Grant nominated"
"Will the South be solid for the Demo-
cratic nominee?'
"It will, without doubt
"Who will be the most likely to receive
the Democratic Nomination.
"That ia very difficult to say. Seymour
would certainly receive the nomination il
there was any probability that he would &C.
cept it, but this is quite unlikely"
"What chance would Gen. Mcclellan have
of carrying the three needed Northern States,
if nominated?"
"He would probably carry New Jersey, and
would have q good chance of carrying New
York. Connecticut would be much more
doubtful, as it generally goes to whoever
can give the most money. But If Mcclellan
were candidate the Republicans would at
once bring up the platform upon which he
was nominated at Chicago in 1864, declaring
the war to be failure and all such stuff,
against him. It ia true that the general did
not run on the platform but on his letter of
acceptance, but the platform would be
brought against him just the same. The
great trouble with the Democratic party is
this war record. The party was altogether
too technical in its opposition to the war;"
GLOW do you look upon
THE RECENT PENNSYLVANIA REPUBLICAN CON-
vENTIoN?"
81 do not think that Pennsylvania is the
strongest Grant State: In the Cincinnati
convention part of the Pennsylvania vote
was cast for Blaine, while the New York del
egation was solid against him. believe
that Conkling will carry the New York dele
cation for Grant without any difficulty, and
Logan promises to give the Illinois delega-
ton solid for Grant"
"Do you think that there is any truth in
the rumor that Cameron is working in the
interest of Sherman, and trying to work up
such fight between Grant and Blaine that
neither of them can be nominated, and that
Sherman may have chance of coming in as
q compromise cand:date?"
81 do not, although the fact that Cameron
is related by marriage to Sherman gives some
color to the rumor. But Cameron, Conk
ling, Logan and other politicians of the same
class care but very little for party or friends,
and great deal for themselves. They be-
L.