New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-14
GENERAL BUTLER TALKS.
rTAxATIoN. THE TARIFF AND POLITICS.


of Massachusetts, was at the Fifth Avenue Hotel
Yesterday. He arrived early In the morning hav-
ing travelled at night as Is his usual custom. He
was busily engaged during the greater part Of the
day. having come 10 New-York 20 attend 10 sons
professional engagements. Before be returned TO
Boston in the late train a TRIBUNE reporter talked
with him on the general political situation. The
General looked very we'll and seemed 10 DO in the
very best of spirits He carefully avoided speak
ing about his success in Massachusetts. When
asked # lie was a candidate he started
and spoke quickly, he inquired :" For
what y And when the reporter mildly suggested
for the Presidency in the next Democratic
National Convention, be said emphatcally, mo,
sir" In answer to the question. " To what causes
do you attribute tho results shown by the late cleo
tion = the Goyenor-elect sand
THE general answer would be- 10 the wide
spread dissatisfaction ef the people with the man
Il which tho General Government has con-
Quoted its Administration. in its legislative
as well its executive branches. 10
must be due TO the conduct of the General
Government, for the action Of the people would not
be universal and unanimous if arising from any
local cause. There can have been ouly one thing
done by the General Government 10 produce so gen.
eral effect, and that Is extravaganza IN expendi
ture and the enormous burdens OF taxation The
Il
lars for every working day in the year makes drain
upon the resources Of the country that would never
have been endured, as it has been by US, for few
years by any other country. and could only have
been borne by Us because of the enormous production
Of Our Agricultural resources. This taxation comes
upon the middle classes and the worklugmen. OF
course they are the largest consumers OF
whiskey and tobacco, upOE which the
burden has been. Again, they consume
the largest amount of everything, except Injuries
which tariff revenue is collected. They have
borne this burden without complaining because
they have supposed it was the necessary cOnse-
quence Of the war and of the necessity of paying
the National debt. But when they were awakened
by the passage of the River and Harbor bill for tbs
expenditure of 100000 over the veto Of tho
President, they saw that there must be
some other couse than public necessity
for such a vast appropriation Of the public
money. They naturally attributed this
to the desire of those Who passed it to have funds
put into their districts to carry the pending cleo
tions and they encouraged in that idea by tho
Presidents words IN his veto. The worse the bill
grew the more votes il got.' And when the public
learned, 10 addition to this specimen Of extravs-
gance that there would be n surplus OF
100000 900 in the Treasury. they became satisfied
that such an amount Of taxation could no longer
be borne They also heard it declared in Congress
by members of both parties, and uncontradicted,
that the tariff which raised the major part of this
great revenue needed revision, and yet no steps
were taken to revise or diminish it."
HOW THE TARIFF QUESTION WAS TREATED.
4" Was not tie Tariff Commission created for that
purpose
True, Tariff Commission provided for,
which was to report It's conclusfons 20 the next
-a.-iou of tourre4s EvarybOlV cOuid that IL
a Congress which sat nine months could do sub
stantially nothing but pass appropriations billG
unless the Chinese and Mormon bills 20 for some
thing session If Congress which could last only
three months with the hoImaysout, woulC OF neces-
sIty do nothing else and, therefore, that II vas tbs
intention ot the Republican party leaders TO throw
all these matters into the incoming Congress,
which meets thirteen months hence. The people
leacne'l that the purpose was % have the tariff
not revised out kept pending question
until the next Prehdential election. This has
caused an unusual revolt
"Do you not think there were minorca which
helped TO bring about the defeat OF the Republican
The assessments of the public oficehoders, the
liquor question, and other local differences might
DO considered lelpug the victory BY causing us
seHsslon among the ranks OF the patty u power.
BUT 1 consider that the Star Route matter
had 10 10 with the result than all these.
The -. 900 alleged TO have been stolen prior 10
the late Presidential election was ot iaken by BRADY
until he had lad all the contracts and All tho
documents before Congress and aites full lnyes-
UgauOn by committee they Appropriated ITO
money necessary to paw what IL now denounced as
he star Route frauds and upon the same evidence
upon which Congress acted, Brady aud as asSo-
crates are now beng tried before alury Without
deciding to their guilt or innocence 1t disguised
the country with the Republican party that they
should rLnItthe secretary OF their Nat!oLai Com-
be at the same time III the dock aud in tAs
conduct OF the campaign"
." DO you tnlnk the excessive taxation has had, or
IS having any effect upon the business interests Of
Jue country =
" UnQuestiouably it has If you think ofits
moment, this great taxation has caused
ueprcsslon IN business and a depression
III wages. Take the matter OF goods. which IA =
good index. You will lind that the sales are very
much less this autumn IN proportion than they have
ever been. hat OF course affects the mauntae urer
and affects the wages OF worAlngmcn. Bat WAS
has especially affected the worklngman IS the great
rise III the actual necessGries OF life; that Is
To say provisions, upon which he and bls
1t is automatic that the maximum rate OF wages or
unskll.ed labor Il rs "A rule that sum only whieA
will support Iu comparative comfort the lG00rlug
man ana his family. me minimum rae Is ms ms
point. I viii be seen at once that IN mo
rise OF the price Of PROVISIONS there IS correspond
ing diIniuutlon III the wages OF laoCr heAee me
strikes which have been and are nc"
gong various parts OF the country tor @g$n
IL Is SXOmatIc that strikes never occur uutll ihs
starvation point Is substantially reached. All these
causes di> gusted the thinking people Of the eoui-
try aud those who were strong paItlsans retraiued
from voting Others not 50 closely bound by party
ties voted Tor auy body tnat they thought would lu
prove this condition OF things. We AL wonder az
the Immense majority that Grover Cleveland Las
received. ! have not the exact figures. Out shall
not be surprised II IL turns out tnat he has
no more votes than did General Hancock
III the election IN 1850 1t certainly viii not 10
many more
No IMMEDIATE RESULT FROM THIS ELECTION.
How and from whom do you think any change
is to come because of tins election -
"The imposslLilIty of any immediate results
from this election is one Of the infecltcs OF our
form of government. A single nights debate in the
House of Commons in England viii change
AN Administration and bring a new House
Of Commons Immediately into power But
under our system we cannot change the Executive