The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-06-14
A LONG RANGE VIEW.
BEN. BUTLER FIXES HIS MENTAL
OPTICS ON THE FUTURE,

And Prophecies Discord Between North
and south-The Ensanguined Garment
Slightly sbaken-A strong Foreign
Policy wanted-somc Suggestive Facts
No Prospect for IA Labor Party.
New YORK, June IA Philadelphia
Times special says: Gen. B. +. Butler
Thursday expressed himself at some length
to The Times correspondent on the general
political outlook. He branded civil service
reform a sham, and thought the Demo-
cratic congress showed lamentable want
of cohesion. He believes the next cam
paign will be fought as the last was-on
the character of the candidates and the
scramble for spoils There will, he thinks,
be no third organization of consequence, as
both sides will bid for tho labor vote.
Taking what he called a long-range view
of things, he expressed the idea that the
great preponderance of the south in national
councils would eventually produce discord
again, but Just when no man could say. He
referred specially to the fact that while the
south pays but one-tfth of the taxes she
dominates the presidency, the lower house,
and soon will secure the senate all on sys-
TEN OF representation based on a suppressed
negro vote Trouble will some day come.
he believes, when the south tries to use this
power to coerce the north into payment of
southern losses during the war The con-
flict may not of the sword, but will certainly
be business one, bred of taxation.
This southern question, find, is forcing
itself upon the Republican party through
Rlatna hn I still m b1,t ha
accepted leader of that organization You
must bear in mind that every generation
since the foundation of the government has
seen its war. Let us examine: First came
the French and Indian wars, then the revo-
luton. after 1t the war of 1872; then the
Florida war, which was followed by the
conflict with Mexico, and finally the little
controversy of lsGlsbetween ourselves
"The real settlement of the last seems to
ms to be yet ahead of US. The men
ON both sides who exercised an influence in
the late conflict will soon have passed.
away. New forces and new men are com
ing forward with fresh ideas and spirit OF
combativeness bred i'll their bones
The mothers of the two sections are by
no means satisfied with the ending of the
rebellion. They have taught their sons
some aggressive lessons that, perhaps as
early as 1870, will begin to touch upon
these differences between the section in such
a way as to provoke for the rising genera
ton their share of conflict
1T may not he one Of the sword al
though everything points in that direction,
but it will certainly be business one, bred
OF the question of taxation, etc, of which
have spoken Then, again, there is another
important element in all this calculation.
There is what may be called the foreign
born element Fifty-eight per cent
of the children born at the. north
are from parents of foreign birth.
Only IL per cent of those in the south
were born Of other than native parents
Those figures show how utterly impossible
another native American uprising is and
what great influence the foreign born ele.
ment Of this country is to have in shaping
its future destinies
ut is singular how little is thought upon
these various features Of our citizenship and
their influence upon the people There is a
demand for strong foreign policy. This
feeling is growing every day. Our friend
Bayard will never harm nybody, and his
diliatory diplomacy is not aiding his party
any more than Mr. Cleveland's lack of com
prehension OF its needs"
"Did you ever know q president bic
enough to ignore the working element of
his party and succeed"
Il never did. No such man has ever yet
been created; but cannot tell what may be
done in the ages yet to come. The fact is,
severe party organization is Indispensable
to our welfare. 1t is especially true of the
democratic party that its success has been
more largely due to its careful and syste-
matte organization than to any other one
thing. To break down the spirit for and
respect Of the organized machinery of the
party is a blow no man has ever yet struck
with success to his own ambitions"
"If, then, the two parties are facing each
other without courage and definite issue is
there no chance for third organizationn
Il know now what l did not once appreci-
ate; that is that the laboring element of the
country can not be cemented into success
full party organization There are too many
conflicting interests among them. do not,
therefore, think that there will be next time
any disturbance Of the contest between the
two parties by a third candidate The two
organizations will bid for the laboring vote
and get it just in proportion as they are able
to commend themselves to the laboring men,
The laboring men have not the financial
power or local leadership of strength
enough to make and keep up separate
party organization"