The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-12-22
MIR. CLARKSON SAYS
The Republicans Must Educate
the Workingmen.
HE OPPOSES THE TIN TARIFF
The Elections Bill should Pass, But
May Not-Mr. Blaine the Greatest
Individual Force.
Boston Journal, December IA.


where he arrived this morning, having
come directly from the South. His pur-
pose In coming TO Boston is to visit his
two sons, who are students at Harvard.
When the Journal reporter called upon
him this afternoon. Mr.. Clarkson talked
freely in regard to the recent elections and
the prospects for the future. Mr.. GARRISON
was chairman of the Republican congress
sional campaign committee in the last
election. He said:
Il do not believe in talking much about
the last defeat but would rather look for
ward to the next victory. But Just word
III regard to the past. After the Republic
can victory of 1855 the importers III New
York saw that if that victory should re-
suit in legislation for protection their bust
ness would be gone and with il their
prohts OF millions of dollars. They i'm
mediately began to organize for the next
night. 1t is an opulent element, and they
stimulated extraordinarily the circulation
OF Democratic newspapers. They set up a
literary bureau, and put it under the
direction OF two young men from Cor
nell college, who devoted their whole time
TO the work of education, as they called
1t. Meantime they secured the names of
publicans and impressionable Republicans
In Iowa. The commercial travellers and
merchants raised the cry of high prices,
and thus imposed upon the family and the
farmer. We must be as smart as the
Democrats, and go to the family and show
them the interest they have in standing by
the Mckinley bill, and thus develop
American interests and manufactures. We
must show the workingman that if he gets
free-trade prices he will also receive free
trade wages. Personally, my judgment
was opposed to putting tariff on tin and
was in favor of q general reduction of
the tariff by revision. We did decrease
1t 100000, 900, but the few millions
of increase of tin, TO develop the manu-
facture in America, and ON wool to protect
the sheep-growing interests of America,
touched the family in great many places.
think We ought not to have done it. But
rs it was agreed upon as a matter of party
judgment, there should be no backward
step. We have gone into the fight with
this measure, and we must establish its
popularity. l was in favor of the re-
ciprocity plan. was opposed to the re-
duction on sugar being made as it was
made. There is where we were hurt. The
increased prices took effect before election
while we shall not receive the benefit of
the decreased price on sugar until next
April"
"How about the election bill, Mr.. Clark
SOM
Il am for the election bill. Every fair
minded man ought to be willing that every
other voter in the land should have as fair
a chance as he has himself. This is all
there is to the election bill. We who are
in the Republican party today must real
ize that it is the party which is the custo-
dian of elections. We owe more to our
children who are to come after us than we
do to the party even. But the purely self
ish interests of the Republican party lie
absolutely in pure elections, north and
South, in the large cities and everywhere.
1t is satanic impudence for the Democratic
party to say that their ignorant, vicious
voters in the large cities of the North shall
vote and that our honest, ignorant voters
in the South shall not be allowed TO vote"
"Will the election bill pass?"
"There is no assurance that 1t will. 1t
was the first pledge of the party in IFS last
platform. The Republican party has been
given a chance after being nineteen years
out of full power to purify the election
laws, and to give its own voters equal
rights with all others. If it does not, it
will be called an act of cowardice which
will point the way to its decay. | think
some of the senators who have business
speculations at stake are inclined to let
the bill be defeated through delay. There
are others who have Il negatively honest
opposition TO it who are more interested In
other bills and who fear that long con-
sideration of the election bill will defeat
those other measures. That is true of the
silver people"
What are the prospects for financial
legislation?"
Il think there is majority in each
house today for free coinage. / don't
know what the president would do with
such a BILL We need a revision of our
banking system III the interest of the
farmer. His city brother is fairly well off
now. The Farmers Alliance demands
such revision. Especially is this true of
It's members in the great farming states. |
think its Southern wing is but an adjunct
of the Democratic party. What its West
ern wing does politically, with which
party il acts, depends good deal on the
attitude Of the parties IN this matter to
which | have just referred"
who will be the next speaker of the
House,
Il think the logical result will be that it
will be q Southern man. The South covets
power and is the dominant wing of the
Democratic party. Ii may he true that as
a precautionary measure, having in mind
Iss2 the conservative leaders may try to
avert the choice OF u Southern man"
who will be the presidential candidates
in ls92?"
II must confess that | am not wise
enough to tell. That question must work
itself out in time. | found President Har-
rison very popular in the South. If the
Mckinley bill proves 10 bc popular and
good times come back to the farmer; If we
pass the shipping bills and extend Ameri-
can commerce as we can do ii, there is no
reason why President Harrison should not
receive very largely the benefit of it, Har-
rison has had an absolutely clean admin
istration; even Democratic malice could
not attack it in the campaign just closed
EXCEPT for its generosity to the soldiers
Harrison has followed the party. He
has had no policy, so-called. He has had
no favorites. think he has s,lbordinated
everything TO what he thought was party
interest. He has not had. and his cabinet
have not had, the activity and warmth.
perhaps, that many would have liked, hut
they have attended 20 their official duties
SO well that even Democratic criticism can
find no Judgment against il, and that is a
good deal | do not think the president
has any self-seeking in his purposes or &C
tions Now. of course, he is human be
ing. and would like TO be reelected But
he would great deal rather see the party
successful with another candidate than to
take any sort ofchsnce of defeat I think
Harrison is an ingrained, honest Republi-
can
How about Mr. Blaine?"
MIR Blaine is the conspicuous figure of
American politics today. as he viii be as
l., 1 l. b,s 81.