The National tribune., 1884-04-17
GOTHAM CHAT.


At the Lennox Hotel, in this city, there
lives an old man who occupied prominent
place in current history some years ago. He
is Lerdo, ex-President of Mexico, at one time
the dictator of the affairs of his country, as the
head of the so-called a Law and Order Party
He lives the life of hermit here-a volun-
tary exile. He rarely goes out, sees few peo-
pie, and is apparently waiting the last sum
mons to pass out of existence. He is inn
mensely rich, but has neither kith nor kin,
and it is not known how he intends to dispose
of his property.
He is deeply incensed because his former
colleagues have almost to man gone over to
the new order of things in Mexico Romero
Rubio, the present secretary of state, and
father-in-law of General Diaz. was identified
with him in the days of his greatness When
Rubio visited this country a year ago, with
General Diaz, he called upon his old chief here
in New York, but Ierdo refused to see him.
he thinks his old friend by accepting position
under the present regime, has been guilty of
treaehery to him and his cause, and he cannot
bear to hear his name mentioned. It is said
that when Rubio's card was sent up to him he
flew into an uncomfortable rage, and when
Rubio made second attempt to see him, the
old mans attendants refused to announce him.
#sm
New Workers all complain of the backward
ness of spring and its effect on business. There
are at last, however, some signs of the approach
of that season when sixty thousand residents
OF Manhattan Island go away well, in search
of health, and come back sick in the fall.
Most of them go to the country and catch the
fever and ague, for fear some one would say
they could not afford to leave the atmosphere
IN which they are acclimated should they re-
main at home.
Burnum's agents were in high spirits Satur-
day. They expected the country to be shaken
up by an earthquake They had secured the
affidavits of two men to establish the spurious
character of the Forepaugh white elephant.
One of them told me, with futter Of excite
ment, how it had been accomplished. They
had suspected fraUd-in fact, been morally
certain of it-and had gone to Liverpool and
looked up the men who had shipped The
Light of Asia to this country He said they
were mad because FOTepaugh had promised to
bring them over to this country and had
gwen them the slip. Barnum's agent had
given them the desired transportation. and
these assisted emigIants had arrived in
frame OF mind ready to swear equal to the
amount of their passage money, it seems. At
any rate, they made affidavit to the effect that
Mr.. fOrepaugh had caused the Light of Asia y
to be dressed each day for three months with
white lead, to his tortue and discomfort as
well as the blaHching of his hide They charac-
terlzed the treatment as cruel, and the eharac-
teristic satellite of the Bridgeport Snowman
was sure that the next thing that would fiji
the daily papers would be the arrest of Fore
paugh for cruelty TO animals. 1t seems, how
ever, that Dir. Forepaugh was equal to the
emergency, and simply saw BArnum and went
him several better ia the affidavit business; so
that, instead of getting him into jail. the
expose resulted in doubling the crowds who
came TO see the Light of Asia" 1t is report
ed that the BarnuIn people are very much
mortified and are IN frame of mind to allow
the public TO be humbugged if it wants TO
without further interference from them The
TACT seems to be that the show goers generally
don't care much whether the elephant is white
or whitened. In any event. there is not white
ness enough about either of the brutes to daz-
zle anybody.
Mr.. John F. Henry, president Of the Ma
tional Organization of Anti-M0nopoIists, IS
looking forward to 2 practical step in advance
this year.
l asked him to-day what, in a nutshell. thew
proposed to do. said he: We hold a conven-
ton in Chicago, May Ii. Our platform is JUS
tiee to all. We believe that labor and capital
are allies, and not enemies, and while we want
TO protect the rights of labor, we also go in for
the protection of capital as we'll We are opposed
to the toll which is levied by the Vanderbilts
upon every bushel of grain and every barrel of
finur rErafIucad in he H. -E= ot, ~.
build up fortgnes counted by the hundred
million We would not complain of a profit Of
5 or 10 per cent upon capital actually invested.
but all those great railroads have had their
stock watered over and over again, and the
producers and consumers of the country are
overtaxed to pay big profit upon this fcti-
tious capital
How are You going to remedy this evil?"
asked.
BY the control of these corporations by the
power that granted the charters-either by the
State or Government. The Constitution guar
antees, or contemplates, free trade between the
States, and Congress has full authority to reg
uiate commerce between them. / would have
Congress pass good Interstate commerce bill
to regulate this traffic, and see that the people
are not oppressed by unjust transportation
charges That is one OF the live issues of the
day"
VIII you nominate candidate for Presi-
dent at Chicago?" I-asked
l presume so. We Will perhaps nominate
Butler. If the Democrats have any sense they
VIII indorse him. The Democrats and Repub-
leans are on the eve of another contest and the
former are whipped to-day as they stand now.
| mean they would be defeated If the election
were tomorrow Now, we were organized in
this State last year and had 100000 men en-
rolled. About half were Democrats. We indOrsed
Cleveland. OF course, those of our Organiza-
alton who were Democrats would have voted
for him anyway, but we believe we took over
to him $4,000 Republicans, which amounted TO
gain of 100000 for Cleveland; that is the first
time we ever showed our strength at the polls
If we can put in the field some man with
strength who will be Endorsed by the Green
baek-Labor and Democratic parties, believe
we stand good chance of success. The people
are ripe for new party upon an issue vital TO
their personal welfare"
Mr. Henry has in times past been identified
with the Republican party, having belonged 10
the State central committee. He was once
candidate for mayor of Brooklyn on the Re
publican ticket, and ran s 600 ahead of his col
leagues. He is all active and aggressive leader
and seems to have a practical programme of
action in mind.
80
Aimee is learning English and says she will
soon be ready to go on the stage in English
comic opera. She is hard at work in an uptown
boarding-house, and says her jaws ache with
making those horrid 8 til sounds
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Great sympathy is expressed for Maurice Par