The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-12-12
EX-SENATOR CHAFFEE.
HIS VIEWS ON A NUMBER OF CUR.
RENT TOPICS
Cause of Blaine's Defeat-The Solid South
Expected Results of CIeveiands Pol
icy Business sIatters-Gen. Grant
and the Pension.

Ihal1ee, OF Colorado, was IN TINS olty
Wednesday, and to reporter, among other
things, said
Il understand that Blaine is something of |
fatalist, and there did seem to be a fatality |
about the canvass After making 400 or
500 speeches all over the country, all |
forcible and telling, without single |
fault or lapus lingua that would serve to
| make against him. be came on to New York
and by moments inattention allowed
| Bmchards expression to go by without fit
| ting rebuke, which he would have undoubt
| edly given if it had caught his ear That
one phrase defeated him without doubt. OF
| course there were other causes by the dozen,
| Conkling did it-by the way, do not be-
| leye word of the interview In which he re-
| feri to Conklng as the cauSe-Folger'.
friends did it, rainy day, Arthur's luke
warmness, the Independents, and many
other things | could mention | would
not have minded it if We had
been beaten by a rousihg majority,
but it does seem particularly hard to have
been defeated by so narrow a margin 1t
leaves the thing like your Illinois legislature,
virtually tie However, | look forward to
one thing. | have talked with many south
ern politicians and representative men of the
| south, and they seem to think that in some
way by Clevelands policy, the question Of
spoils, the division that will come between
the planter and manufacturer on the doe
trine of free trade and protection, OF
in some other mysterious manner, the
white vote of the south will lie divided.
If it should result thus, the election OF
Cleveland would prove to be a provi-
dence Of God. / tell you plainly that if ii
continues es it now is there will be trouble
even unto war The people will not stand II
| to have the north dominated and ruled by q
minority that, while repressing free vote
claim representation on the basis OF tht
| very vote that they defraud out of expires
sion. 1t is a grave and serious matter, anc
while the Democratic papers belittle the Is
sue, they will find in the future that 1t vii
bring trouble if the evil continues.
"You are striking the keynote of Blaine:
Augusta speech" said the reporter.
YES Blaine took that tack after his de
feat, and it is the right one. His letter o
acceptance was soft, flowery, and in th
other direction, but its only result, notwlth
standing the bid, was to send up the sout
solid with its l53 electoral votes. Now II
can afford to speak the truth"
Mr. Chaifee also referred to the busines
situation and the depression now existing
He thought that CleVeland's election an
politics had very little to do with it, but tia
it came from natural causes especially ia
overproiuction and the want OF
foreign market The outlook in the eas
was very 5 Tious, The manufacturers weT
shutting down their works III all branches {
trade AMI hundreds and thousands oI ms
- were being thrown out of empioymen
- This would result in want and destltutol
and if some means were not found to a!leV
ate their condition grave labor trouble
would ensue There was no danger oil a iol
continuance of the depression, but only TIN
would cure it. MIR. Chaffee also said tn
there was good deal of speculation regar
ing Cleveland's cabinet He had very lit
doubt that Bayard's trip to Albany mea
the rendering to him of the position of Sc
retary of stata Further than that, ever
THING was puess-work He also said that
Republican national committee had won
up its affairs and paid its debts, and all
stories regarding the imnenslty OF the lar'
were pure flights Of the imagnatloh.
Blana's future he was Of the OPINION IL
he vopld devote himself to literary wol
although he would still remain leader
the Republican party. In his writings a
narrative style, ne was So oilu Iha''t'i'
who sustained his vigorous English q
lofty flights with ease and charming faclil
He would never run for president aga
that was certain.
senator, what were Gen, Grants reaS
for refusing the pension as introduces
Senator Mitchelps bill!
The very best of reasons--conslstency
: dislike to lie made pensioner on the
erpment He does not believe
any soldier not disabled should ace
a bounty in the shape of pension,
while be was pre- ident he vetoed
of similar character He would not object
being placed on the retired list with {
erals pay, as was done in the case OF t
sherman He resigned his commission
uerform civil duties at the call OF the peo
and the least they could do would be t"
store to him the right to be retired, and tt
would be no sacrifice of dignity nor homo
accepting that which is his right, but
sion implies disability and aims. You
- the distinction.