New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-19
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
SENATOR JONES ON THE ELECTION BILL

REPRESENTATIONS OF THE SOUTH-DEM-
OCRATIC POLITICIANS FIND MIR.
CLEVELAND WILLING TO TALK
ONLY on TIE TARIFF
Washington, Jan Ex-senator Jones. of Nevada.
silver legislation go for arguments or facts TO
susain their theories He is one of the most
difficult men to meet in financial Debates on ac-
count Of his vast reading, his voubty, his
aptncss Of expression and his readiness to turn
quickly when an adversary is dealing too severely
with his theories He is one of the most pict-
uresauc of the Western Senators and one of the
most popular. Every one in the Senate likes him.
lie has the manly quality which commends him
10 every one. lie is extreme General Grant
was in his personal loyalty to friends These
friendships he makes in the Senate without re-
gard to party or financial sympathy. He is
broad-mndcd upon all social questions. At pres
rnt he has trained himself up TO believe that
cold and silver will some day be eliminated from
the currcncics of the world and will simply
become mercantile commodities. Nearly every
one of the Senator's financial u!teranccs is OPP
poscd to every tradition Of hard-m0ney finance.
Yet the Senator's manner is 50 engaging and his
dark eyes twinkle with such a genial light as
he talks that for the time that you are with him
you are half convinced that his magnificent ideas
must he correct and that perhaps fiat money is
the panacea for all future financial evils.
lie is slightly above medium height and stout
in figure He has large. round head. His full
forehead is shaded by thin gray hair. which is
thicker over his ears and around the base of has
neck. A full mustachc and long beard cover
the lower part of his face. His eyes are dark
lie has the full eyclid which is an uncrring evil
dcnce of an easy takcr Senator Jones is as
in n q
theories for the conduct of the business of the
public In this he is thoroughly consistent lie
has made a number of fortunes. lie is now rlch,
and probably will so remain. Yet, in spite of his
wealth. ne advocates the peculiar financial thco-
rics of men who have nothing. | asked him yes
terday his opinion of the Election bill. lie has
been absent until within few days. and he
was currently reported to he against the meas
urp The Senator said that he did not think
much of the Election measure. lie syinpathlzed
with the objects sought to he accomplished but
he did not believe that they could he accom-
plished by any legislation of Congress. He said
IF this bill should become law shall favor
the adoption of game laws in the South, so as not
10 have the negro shot the year around. In other
words. to cease joking upon serious subject,
] believe that any such bill this, if il were
10 he enforced or even if attempts were made to
enforce it, would result in great loss of life among
the negroes | have no dispute with any OF the
Rcpublicans who are back of this bill about the
condition of affairs in the South. The negro
vote j. not to-day counted. but the killing Of
the negroes is practically stopped. Voting itself
particular privilege, unless that voting means
something | think il was mistake ever 70 have
given the vote TO the negroes until they HAD
been educated up to better standard. Perhaps
there is too much suffrage in the country. IL
might he better TO restrict it than 10 extend IT.
| am looking at this who'c situation in the South
as a practical man. don, sec what we can d"
Tho white pcople where the negroes are in tie
majority. will not submit to being governed by
them. That is a fact from which there is no
escape No law can ever I've enforced without
public sentiment in community supporting H.
Whore the reverse exists any law, however drastic,
is dead letter
The Senator here made use OF an lllustratlOh'
taking the life on the Pacific Coast TO snow
his meaning Ilc said Suppose some of the
wise legislators had given the right of Suffrage
10 the Chinese, and they had swarmcd over in
enough numbers to capture the Western States.
Do you think that We out there would have sub
mitted to that?
lie then went on to say that the wrongs exist
ing in political affairs in the south were oil such
character that he thought that communities would
themselves: still lie could that a supervision
Of the elections by the House of Representatives,
with an appcal 70 the United States courts was
NOT objectionable and might secure good results.
Al the same time he feared that any such measure
would result in new persecution and intimidation
OF the negroes.
The Senator said that there was one phase Oh
the situation which WAS hard 10 endure. ana lhdo
was the large representation oil the oouth "P''
the floor of the House Of representatives IN com
parison with the representation from the No',"
There was no kind of argument that couid make
any one satisfied with that situation. and' 'ha'
being the case, he would gladly welcome any
practical reform which would look u inc coIIec
ton of the evil. II was unjust that the rlch anu
commercial North with all its great institutions
of learning and industries, with all the great anu
controlling commercial cities of the country
should stand in such disproporiion in the IouSc
Of Representatives with section which was al
mos, nurclv agricultural. whose manufacturers
Uoro still in their infancy. But the difhcuity IN
settling all partisan disputes was to ma trlp"iidi
hiah enough and fair enough TO pass upon 'nc"
If United States judges could he i"uhd' "i'houO
the color OF partisanship, TO try these cases. Nv
should favor such settlement The Senator rs
hc talked clearly showed that he was not reaiiS
against the Election bill.
Two prominent Southern Democrats VINO r'
Gently called upon Grover Cleveland said mat
they were much impressed by one fact and Una,
is that the cx-Prcsident has apparently gone mau
upon the subject of the tariff. lie would not
consent 10 talk about anything else. ii one
Glanced 10 remark that it was fine day. ne "ouio
conclude that it was all the better on tlat ac-
count for the free discussion of the tarlh. lhcSe
two Democrats asked him about the future anu
about his chances as candidate lie sd'u UNIV
it would largely depend upon whetner ''e POI
realized the overshadowing importance oil t"lii
refor,, &C tb,. coming issue. Mr.. Cleveland has
-, ii .;r.o 20 this subject and Is so |