Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-03-22
BEECHER TALKS.
He Thinks the Republicans will Win the
Presidency, and that Arthur Ought to
be the Republican Nominee,

Presidency, and that Arthur Ought tC
be the Republican Nominee,
The following is an extract from an in
terview with Henry Ward Beecher pub
lished in the New York Herald, March 20
'You believe that the next President
| will be Republican, | presume, Mr.
! Beecher?'
Il think so, without any question.
| could name ticket for the Democracy
| though" continued Mr.. Beecher, s'that
would draw thousands upon thousands OF
votes from the Republican ranks and carry
the country without doubt. 1 am not
going to do it, though"
"a free trade ticket, of course"
''Oh, | won't say" laughing; ''I'm not
going to help the Democrats that way"
"But you think that free trade is to be
| the issue?"
"Well, l think the question of reduced
taxation is the one question that is bound
! to grow steadily in the future. 1 don't
! think it will be the issue in this election,
! but four years from next November the
| parties in the field will be on different
| ground from what they are to-day"
''BEEFsTEAK WITH INCIDENTAL sTRYCH-
NINE"
"And you think they will divide upon
protection and free trader"
81 think the question of free trade will
| be a far more vital and debatable Ques-
ton then than it is going to be now. With
my very strong feeling on the subject of
protection it is not with me simply a
question of high protection or unbalanced
protection, it is any protection. Every
single shade Of protection that is intro
duced into the taritf-and / suppose that
has got to be the mode of taxation;
don't think our people are intelligent
enoSgh, much as they know, to allow them
selves TO raise money by direct taxation,
which is the true way-but a tariff with
moderate, with incidental protection, is
just like beefsteak with incidental strych-
nlne; every single particle of protection
that goes in is poison"
''What is your opinion, Mr.. Beecher, as
to the probable Republican candidate
from among those who have been
namedY'
"Oh, you can't tell. l think that, all
things considered, on an abstract ground,
there is no man that would make an abler
President than John Sherman. But John
sherman can't be elected
'Why?"
"Folks won't vote for him, that's the
principal reason. The next man,
to my mind, that is promi-
nently before the public, is Sena-
tor Edmunds, in every way an admirable
candidate, but l think he labors under the
same difficulty. He would not excite the
sympathies Of the average common peo-
pie. What l mean is that the man to
whom the people take Is a genial man; a
man who has great deal of fellow feel
ing; who has good nature as well as abil-
ity; who can tell good story, and who is
interested in any man, high or low,
wherever he meets him. Such a man is
catching; the people are interested in
him. And, generally speaking. such men
have large trunks; are big bellied and
big chested, with good deal of blood and
a well organized head ON tOp.'
''Neither Mr.. Sherman nor Mr.. Ed
munds answer such requirements?
"They have able heads with shad bel
lies. They are not catching"
"How about Blaine; doesn't he fill the
bil?"
81 doubt whether Mr.. Blaine has any
such following as the Tribune, in It's quiet
way, would make it appear that he has.
L think the nomination of Mr.. Blaine
would detach thousands and tens of thou
sands of Republican votes at once.v
ARTHUR HIS CHOICE.
'And President Arthur-how would he
suit?''
arthur would be my choice"
"Do you regard him as the most availa-
bic candidate?v
81 can't say anything about that. am
not in position to know. | simply say
thIs-that If the people were inclined to It
l think Arthur would make one of the
wisest and best Presidents we have had
for long time, and whether he should be
nominated is simply practical question.
1 think, though, that the signs of the
times show that he could be elected. |
know sometimes men are nominated for
the sake of having them killed, but the
Republican party can't do that to-day.
They must nominate a man TO elect him.
You haven't asked me about LincOln,''
added Mr.. Beecher. Il think Lincoln
would probably be the adjunct on any
ticket on which an Eastern man was the
principal, ana very possibly would be the
leading man in the West if the West gave
the principal. L doubt about Logan.
don't think Logan is going to be strong.
l see some symptoms of General Sherman
being persuaded by his wrath to accept
the nomination. General Sherman is
loyal man in his wife's behalf, aud if any,
body takes up the cudgels against her be-
cause she is Catholic, think very like
ly he would be willing to put her in the
White House to Yindicate her. / quite
admire the loyalty of the old fellow. Gen.
Sherman has always been one of my spe-
cial admiratiOns, and if he were to be
nominated and agree to it there wouldn't
need to be any more talk. | think he
would sweep the country, North and
South. Southern people love good fighter.
"There has been some little talk of
nominating Gen. Grant,?
81 have never heard a hint of it, and
supposed that was a thing settled and
gone by. OF course if Gen. Grant should
be nominated and become a candidate
should take the greatest pleasure in ad-
vOcating him with all my heart. l have
always been a Grant man-frst. middle
and last-and deride and scOf at the
notion that this great people haven't the
right to put man in for the third term
if they want to-
THE COwARDLY DEMOCRACY.
',YOu speak of Gen. Sherman sweeping
the South; is the alleged Republican effort
to divide the Democratic South likely to
be successful|'
1t is very doubtful. There is one OF the
dangerous things. The Democratic party
is inettably cowardly party. 1t has no
fundamental conviction, and the few that
it comes near having it has not the pluck
to stand by. l regard the Democratic
party as having only one element in ad-
vance OF the Republican party-it is a
great deal more cOwardly."
''More cOwardly? Do you think the Re
publican party afflicted that way tOo?''
Il do not. a large section of the Re-
publican party really believes in high
NttA4hs anu eSbo dl1OluAiiE W Alldb DEl4tAs
They are going to fight it out on that line.
While large part of the Democratic
party do not believe in it, yet for political
reasons they are afraid to fight on that
line. The application comes in, He that
shall save his life will lose it, and he that
shall lose his life will save it, If the De-
mOcracy dared to organize this year they
might lose the next Presidency, but they
would have the Presidency following,
with a long term of service. But thew
don't dare to do it. They are too hungry"
''Then YOU think there's no hope for the
DemOcracyY'
'Well, as / say" responded Mr.. Beech
er humorously, ''if they let me put up
their candidates and lay out their cam
paign for them they might stand some
show"
'.lf Speaker Carlisle were put up would
he be likely to pull thrOughf'
II won't say anything more about it,
Mr.. Beecher also declined to say
whether his candidate was Mr.. Henry
Watterson, of Louisville.
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