Omaha daily bee., 1891-12-27
TALK WITH CARLISLE.
Th3 Kentucky Statesman Expresses Views
on Leading Questions of the Day
SAYS THE TARIFF MUST BE MODIFIED.
The Ex- peaker Strongly Opposes the Free
Coinage of Silver.
OUR NEXT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES.
The People will Not Favor Legislative
Interference With the Currency.
iUR NEXT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES.
ABSOLUTE FakE TRAD: NOT DESIRABLE.
A Remarkable Interview With the
Great EXpouudcr of Pure DEM
ocratic observation-disclosures" Cos
sip of the National Capitol.

WAsurvGToy, d. c., Dec. 2i.-lSpecial cor
respondence of TIE BEE. 1t was in the par
Tors of a comfortable house on K street with
In three blocks of the white house and Just
around the corner from Mcpherson square
that | chatted with one Of the most remarka-
bic statesmen 10 congress last Sunday alter
noon. The man sat with his back to inc
light but his big broad forehead, his straight
nose and his strong smooth-shaven Jaw came
Enthusiastically out IN the shadows and his
face was more than ever the embodiment OF
pure intellect as his soul looked out
OF its clear gray eyes and he
talked freely of the great questions
of the day. There is no stronger man in the
senate today than Mr.. John 6. Carlisle. HIS
fourteen years in congress during which ne
served either as speaker or upon the import
ant committee of ways and means have given
him n thorough equipment regarding all
matters connected with the government ana
interests of the United States and his Won
derful intellect married to q capacity for
perpetual work makes him u giant among
his fellows. There IS no such worker in
Washington as Senator Carlisle. While
speaker ne put in moro hours u day than any
man at the capitol and his work is still be-
fore him from morning until night. He has
DbNcl DGCh u uloSlpAO VI
pays, ! am told, but little attention to his
diet, has no recreations whatever and his
great brain rests only when he sleeps. Our
conversation was more IN the shape Of a
friendly talk than an interview ana | give the,
chat as nearly as | can, just as it occurred,
having requested Mr.. Carlisle to revise IT.,
which he has very kindly done.
h ~Spcakcrship.
The first subject was the speakershipa and
asked Senator Carlisle whether he considered
it a desirable position or q hard one to I'LL.
He replied:
''The speakership is certainly a very ardu-
GUS position. 1t entails hard work from the
beginning to the end Of the session, and
taxes the strength and tries the patience of
the incumbent to the fullest extent. The
work of selecting the committees, determin-
ing Just what members will deal most in
telligontly with certain classes of questions,
ana the naming of chairmen, is perplexing
and tedious in the extreme. When this is
done the speakers work is only begun. He
has to pass upon questions OF Importance
almost every hour. He mas to be consulted
Us to the time that shall DC given to the vari-
Gus legislative measures; must carry in his
mind a panoramic view of the whole legtsla-
ton of the session, ana must understand the
merits of each measure and how 1t should
be treated. This, of course, requires a great
amount of investigation and study. He must
be ready TO decide upon all matters the mo-
mcnt they come up, and new questions of
procedure and parliamentary law are always
being presented.
The mail of the speaker is very heavy.
While | was speaker l sometimes received rs
high as scventy-tive and eighty letters in n
single mail, and nearly all of my corro-
spondence related either directly or indirectly
to pu bic matters"
you were twice reelected speaker, Sena-
tor Carlisle, without opposition in your W
party. How do you account for thatf"
~ do not know replied the senator. II
tiled to be fair and impartial in my decisions
and | regarded my Office as that of a Judge
rather than that of a partisan. This is, ia
my Judgment, the true position of a speaker,
If thought the leaders of my party were at
all in the wrong on questions of order, | do
cidod against them, but if it was a matter Of
equal right, | of course gave the preference
to the democrats
"What kind of a speaker will Mr.. Crisp
makein
"NIr. Crisp is n cool, cautious, self-reliant
and able man. He never loses his temper
and he has undoubted executive ability. /
was in favor of Mr.. Mills election because
no was u conspicuous representative of the
democratic party on tariff reform and be
cause his uttcrances during the last cam
paign were in accord with the attitude |
think the party ought to take upon that sub
iect during the coming presidential cam
paign."
a Few Words About Silver.
"Wnat do YOU think of the issues of the
next campaign, senator!n said l..
''Thoy Will include the whole list OF qucs-
tions upon which the two parties differ re-
Piled the senator. THE tariff should, |
think, be made the principal issue, and ii the
question of silver enters into the campaign it
should be secondary to tho tariff. don't
think the democratic party should take up
the silver question for consideration at this
time. IT certainly should not put n plank in
its national platform favoring free coinage.
| doubt very much whether we have any
thing to gain from the silver states. They
are naturally republican and will vote the
republican ticket in any event. This has
been the result in all past campaigns. l dc
not think the majority OF the business people
of the United States are in favor of further
legislative interference with the currency al
this time, and some of tho propositions sug-
geSted are full of danger to tho country.
Tho free coinage OF tho American pro
duct of silver, as proposed by some
would certainly be worse for the people gen
orally in one respect, at least, than any plar
yet adopted, Us that would donate all tn,
difference between the bullion value ana tn,
coinage value Of the metal to the owners o
mines and spectators in mining stocks
instead of the government, making them
present in fact from the people of the United
States OF a great many million dollars every
year. From February 2S, 1878, the date o
the resumption of the coinage of the silver
dollar, TO juno 30, 1891, TINS differenc,
amounted to nearly SI2,0 0 900, which ha,
gone into tho treasury to the credit OF thu
tax payers Of the country. Ot course II tn