The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-04-07
SENATOR EDMUNDS TALKS POLITICS
A Situation the Outcome of Which
Cannot be Foreseen.
What the Votes OF the Farmers Al
lance Might Accomplish.
No Choice In Electoral College Means
Democratic success.

WASHINGTON, April 6.-The Star this af-
ternoon prints an interesting interview with
Senator Edmunds on the present state of po-
litical affairs.
us not the present political situation one
OF extraordinary interest and importance?
the reporter asked.
"Yes," replied the Senator after a mo-
ment's thought. II think 1t is in one sense
as applied to one aspect of affairs, namely,
the Farmers Alliance subject. The attitude
OF the two great parties in respect to each
other and public affairs is apparently the
same. In respect to the Farmers Alliance
matter it is in its present form new expert
ment in this country, but not an unnatural
one. There have been analogous foments
in former times but the present condition
makes the political situation in this respect
interesting and important, for what its effect
will be upon the next national election take
tno one can foresee with precision: think
q large. part OF this feeling arises from the
intrinsic qualities of the human mind, which
has Its periods of rest and then of excite
ment. Some people are trying to persuade
the farmers Of the country that laws have
been made which operate uDjustly upon
which would or should furnish them
more rapid and steady prosperity. In
both these cases l think they are in
a large degree mistaken. and In due time
they will discover it. Indeed, the largest
part of the rejecting farmers perfectly under
stand that crops cannot be increased by leg
islation. or debts honestly paid by cheapen-
ing the value of what Is called money, and
most Of them understand that money, to be
must be stable, and that If a farmer agrees
to sell his next years crop for so many dol
lars, he must be able to know what that
number of dollars will be good for when he
gets t."
country are there in the situation?"
81 don't think there is any dan
ger to the Democratic party, for In
the next presidential election, If the
Farmers Alliance should carry many states
without having majority Of the whole cleo
total college, the simple result would be that
there would be no election by the people, and
the present House of Representatives, hav-
ing very large Democratic majority Of the
states, as well as the members, would elect
the democratic candidate In the constitution
al and regular way. although he might have
carried the smallest number of states. As
to the danger to the Republican party. 1t Is
that the Farmers Alliance may carry in the
next Presidential election, some states that
candidate and thus, in effect, If there should
be no election by the people, give the cleo
tion to the Democratic candidate by the
House of Representatives"
In regard to silver being an issue in the
next canvass, Mr.. Edmunds did not believe
it would be an issue between the two par
ties, as the Democrats would hardly wish to
make the silver question an issue to the ex-
tent Of running any considerable risk of
separating gold and silver as the coin money
of the country, and certainly the great body
of the Republican party would not. What
the Farmers Alliance platform would be on
that topic, II they nominated candidate for
President, he was unable to say. He be-
lieved that the way 10 meet this feeling Of
unrest was by candid consideration, cor
rect information, just reasoning and the en-
actment Of such laws as would fairly appear
to be promotive of the general good. When
asked If third party movement was likely
and II communism would be at the bottom Of
il, he replied that third partysdoes not exist
In the Farmers Alliance enterprise and that
communism is not at the bottom of the Farm
ers' Alliance movement. The great body of
laborers are too intelligent and too honest
to think communism would benefit them and
their families. As to the finances of the
country being affected, he said they always
depend very largely upon the confidence that
people engaged in business and people hav-
ing capital have in the administration of its
government.