The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-04-11
T1[lE'Ll.EGRAP.HETIC. ! E f
THE FREEIRADERS.
What They Are Going to Do in the
Political Field.
Garry the Fight into the National
Convention and Nominate Bayard
--.Talk with an Enthusiastic
Revenue RefOrmer.

| WASHINGTON CITY, April 1l-"Gath" |
gives the following conversation with zone
Of the most interesting men on the free trade
sid7" in Il is city:
Said to my FRIEND "What are you free
traders going to do now!"
ave are going to pass the Morrison bill,
but we expect that it will take one of the
most trem 3ndous parliamentary contests ever
eon in this world"
"What vote do You expect to get upon it,"
ave expect to get all the votes whica sup
ported the bill in the late caucus, and a con
siderable pro! !ortion of the Democrats who
voted against the bin in that caucus, aai
there are few Republicans who favor the
ril'. We shall have bare majority, bus we
txnec, t. bate this bill with vi COR ani
fire whlci. viii bring out our VOTE and under
th obi gAtions of party honor we SHALL put
it t.4roAsE.'
Said /: Glow will the presidential nom
ination lie affected by the free TIA ie in
tera t:7
We snail push this free trade question"
sail my acquaintance, who is noted FOR lis
indomitable spirit, into the nominating con
ventiol, and no man shall be nominated
there who is not absolutely sound"
Give me an idea, 81 |, of the nominee
II think the nominee of the convention
will be Thomas F. Bayard, of Delaware.
Whom we bad this bill brought forward in
the house, Mr. Bayard was asked what he
thought about it, and he said: You have not
gone half far enough. You should have had
a more radical free trade bill, and not mere
shaving down of the present tariff with its
enormities; but will give you all the sup
port can, nevertheless! after that" said
my informant, "Mr. Bayard wrote a letter
to the Tammany hall meeting, on which we
can stand. He possesses many qualifications
for popular candidate. The scratchers and
kickers in the Republican party will support
him i'll preference to Blaine. l believe he
can carry Massachusetts over Blaine"
Before | go any further with this converse
ton l viii state that print it only to show
the reader what the free trade element is
thinking about.
Said to this gentleman: How came Tam
many hall to have meeting on the subject
of free trader
Because John Kelly is an out and out free
trader, and in favor of the Morrison bill. He
naturally antagonizes the movements eman-
ating from the Tilden wing of the party
Manning, Cleveland, Randall and PAYNE are
all more or less the offspring of the Tilden
movement. Kelly expects to have hard
fight i'll New York, and he is going to throw
Tammany hall in accord with the Demo-
cratic majority in congress, aud claim that
he is more Democratic than his opponents"
Said |: why have you gentlemen aban-
| doned Mcdonald as your candidateN
| Because he has not the courage of other
men that we know on this question. He is q
mere presidency seeker, and we want a can
| didate of convictions"
Said l: '"iVill not Mr., Payne be the Dem
| ocratic nomineea"
mo. The Democratic party in every dis
trict before our debate is over will become
so much charged with revenue reform that
every candidate connected with the manu-
featuring interest will be ruled out"
Said l: what has become of Mr. Con
verse;
'He had to go home in order to.defend him
self against attacks arising from his attempt
to restore tho wool tariff"
"What do you think of Gov. Hoadly's let
ter to Converse on that subject"
"Hc merely demonstrated his weakness an(
unftness for any further promotion at tht
hands. of the party"
Said 1: "Do you gentlemen expect t.
carry the next presidency on that ques
ton"
We expect to try. but there are bette
things than the presidency. in four year
more the Republican party will be split t.
pieces on this subject There are now Re
publicans in Ohio writing to us asking i
they can get the Democratic support in Ger
tain Republican districts if they will run a
Republicans and free traders"
Said l: "Are you willing to make combina
tions of that kind y
| Yes
Said l: "They why do you pitch into Ran
dali for making combinations on his side 0
the same question:
1--WE understand Randall perfectly well,
said my informant. "He is cunning, expert
enced and about equally divided between hi
revengefulness for the slight we put upo
him and his ambition. But he will not Civ
us much trouble now. For some time pas
lie has hardly been on speaking terms wit
the leading free traders. But since th
Pennsylvania Democratic primaries hav
selected him as the presidential candidate
is all politeness to us free traders. He ez
poets to placate US with the idea that he ma
get the nomination. You may depend upo
it that Randall will just sit back and let thi
debate go on"
l asked him if Carlisle had not rathe
flinched on the free trade question in the cat
Gus Said he: mo. That speech has bee
very incorrectly reported and described
Carlisle is a firm and upright man on tha
subject. He is not a violent man, but he hE
all the courage of his convictions. As fC
Morrison, he is as brave as lion"