Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-24
REPRESENTATIVE RRECKINRIpGE
Talks Generally Upon Political Matters-The
Coming Campaign in Ohio.

Talks Generally Upon Political Matter~-The
Coming Campaign in Ohio.
Representative Breckenridge Of Arkansas ar
rived in Washington yesterday and is at his
winter residence on North Capitol street. He
is he re to take his children for vacation after
the close of school. Mr.. Breckenridge is fond
OF hy fishing and during the month of August
expects to camp on the north shore of the
Superior and fish for trout in the famous
Nepigon.
Speaking with STAR reporter today he said
that in his state people are attending to their
crops and letting politics alone. Viewing
national politics, he says that the third party
movement is SO far an unknown Quantity that
no one can find the basis for judgment as to
its extent and consequence. No one can tell
he says, how long it will last or what il will
comphsh- There have been many movements
among the people that have been widespread
and over which there has been popular
excitement. but they have been aimed
at some particular object and they
however. he says the condition is that of gen
eral unrest; for thirty years the public mind
has been clouded by the smoke of battle; pub
lie sentiment in all matters of politics has been
more or less influenced by the remembrance Of
the war, and prejudice has entered into every
process OF reasoning. Now the people are
throwing off this influence and beginning to
think for themselves-to use their minds-and
economic Questions, not sentiment. are occupy
ing their attention. The popular mind. he
have begun to arouse themselves
to move, to turn over and stretch themselves,
and somebody is going to be disturbed by it
some ones crockery is going to be broken.
What We see is the evidence Of q general dis
content The people are not satisfied that
things shoHla for al m hoy 40
know that there is some thing wrong and they
are determined to right it, They will go about
this in their own way. The great mass of
people-the great common people-are not
In the habit Of thinking over matters Of
political economy; they have not been making
study Of craftsmanship; but seeing wrong,
which they have endured as long as they intend
to, they are gong about to make change and
to correct the evil in the best way they can.
They will 60 at it awk sardly, not being used to
dealing with such questions. and they may make
mistakes and do some things that viii be hurt
full, but in the end they will accomplish the re-
form they seek. They know wha: to do. but
may not have knowledge of the best methods.
TRIUMPH FOR DEMOCRACY.
He says he can see that as q final result il
will be triumph for democracy. The discon-
tent which causes the upheaval is q discomfort
with present existing conditions. not with con-
ditions that are not. The present conditions
are. he says. what have been established by
the republican party and are part of their
principles. The democrats have never had n
chance to repeal any Of the laws the republi-
cans have put upon the statute books and the
most they have been able to do was to prevent
certain other legislation in the same
line, SO that the growth Of the institu-
tons Of the republican party has been
checked, but those institutions have not been
changed and still exist. Discomfort with pres
ent conditions, therefore, he says. is discomfort
with the doings Of the republican party, and
the contest must be between paternal govern
ment on the one hand and government
by the people on the other. He does
not think that the people who are now
moved by a spirit of unrest will
try to correct the evils of paternaiism by e1-
tending it. Reason will show them that il par
ternaiism and Partially is an evil to extend it
to other classes will not help matters any. but
that the ouly way to correct the evil 10 to do
away with ali paternalism and establish equality
for all and favors to none-which brings them
back to the principles Of democracy.
Speaking Of the contest in Ohio this fall he
says he thinks the fight will be mainly on the
tariff question, and that McKinleys success is
very doubtful. The best democratic campaign
document i'll the fight, he says. will be the
frank statement: Of the Home Market Club,
which, while not intended TO help the DEM
ocrats. shows just the results as to the
duty on wool which the democrats have been
pointing out--that the high duty on a grade Of
wool which must be mixed with our native
woods and which cannot be produced here
lowers the price Of the native wool without,
cheapening the cloth, and makes the mnnuiac-
ture of cloth SO expensive to restric,
the demand; whereas if these grades were
admitted free the price Of cloth
could be reduced from 20 to 30 cents on the
yard and an increase of probably cents per
pound be paid for native wool. He says this
statement, coming from the source it does. il
very apt to weaken McKinley's position among
the sheep raisers of Ohio.