New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-16
A CHAT WITH MIR DEPEW.
HILL AND CLEVELAND IN The SOUTH.
THE READING COAL COMBINATION coNTRAsTED
WITH THE SOUTH PENN EXPERIENCE
fopUrrrrc v,NDFRBILT'S HOUSE.

WITH THE SOUTH PENN EAPEklfNCE-
CORNELIUS vANDERBILT's HOUSE.
weeks absence from his business Office means
multiplied labor for Chaunccy NJ Depew Tor several
days after his return Letters come to him daily Ill
shoals, and these accommodating with each disibu
lion of the mails, become formidable ooilec-
,ion For H. Is true that the letters which are
constantly pouring upon this man from al parts OF
the country treat Of every variety OF subject from
that OF selecting a proper name for baby to
a proposition that he shall become the purchaser
Of property worth millions OF dollars.
MIR Depew returned from Fortress Monroe Monday
noon and within two hours in consultation with
Mavor Grant respecting the elevation of the New
York Central Railroad grade and the bridging OF the
Harlem River. In the evening he graced
the platform Of the big hall of Cooper
Institute before audience of colored citizens
presiding a meeting addressed by Frederick Doug
lass and quite incidentally and spontaneously ut
tered an eloquent defence of the Christian religion
which for aptness and force has rarely been equaed
In direct eparee, and which Is echOing throughout
the country. lie spent yesterday at his ONCE anu
last evening a Tribune reporter found MIN IN MS
library with big pasteboard box filed with letters
upon his knee. The contents Of that paseboard box
would doubtless have afforded chapter OF interesting
reading, but these were sacred property, ana were
temporarily laid aside when Mr. Depcw was Invited
TO contribute observation on politics ana o'her
subjects of general interest respecting which his views
we're sought.
Being asked directly regarding the current OF poiti-
cal opinion 1t came under his opserVaOoh "iiio
In the South, Mr.. Depew said
"When was in Virginia found that the Two lcuihg
papers Of Richmond which furnish ihiormauon ree"ru
Ing the outside world To the people at Fortress
Monroe until the Newiork dailies arrive, are EXHAUST
Ing themselves IL the absorbing question Of the saliva
ton Of the Democratic party by Cleveland or other-
wise. One of them takes very much the view which
is presented by The Evening Post and The New-lork
Times with the added vermlol characteristic OF the
Southern editor, while the other has the same general
opinions Of the relations of the eX President to the
Democratic party and of the Democratic party to
the President expressed by our brilliant frchds
Of The SUM- The South has been accustomed to
be solid not only against the Republicans, but on all
internal Democratic questions, that this astonishing
divergence the quee of candidates by the
two papers which do tLe thinking for the Democrats oil
Virginia is producing water on the brain among the
Virginia Democrats. IOu ask one of them who he
thinks will be nominated at Chicago and his answer
reminds You Of the famous story of the colored con-
vert at camp meeting who was informed that on one
side Of him hell fire and on the other dainna-
ton, and he said Den dis yer niger takes TO &c
woods
1t seemed to me that Hill was rather growing In
strength among the politicians IN the South. They
have great curiosity TO SEC him, and express the
profoundest admiration for his election methods
Meeting, as one does In these great caravansarcs,
PEOPLE from al paris OF tlc country VI ONNiS
degree Of influence and position you get pretty fair
view of opinion over a wide range of country. !
heard no dissent anywhere from the oftrepeated
proposition that the Republican convention would
renominate Mr.. Harrison 1t is singular that even 20
close to the convention are you can get no
group people to discuss other candidates ana sui
more singular that while Won will find, especially
among Congressmen many who are opposed to the
denomination Of President Harrison, you cannot ma
anybody who Will express a preference Tor aho'her
candidate strong enough TO have him argue MS merits
Nth sufficient warmth to accelerate his own pulse
or retain the interest Of the person with whom he Is
conversing 1t Is the only canvass In my long eA-
perenoe In which have rot found plenty OF men VINO
were willing to so to the stake Tor candidate
oven II they were he could not be nominated the
stake meaning Of course, in the political patois, the
certainty Of being left.
.The grief OF the Southern editor over the DIVISION
10 the, Democratic party on the Tree coinage OF Sill
YER and his EFFORT to establish the fact that this is
not and never can be party question: ~hie ueS P'
duce q smile, also arouse your sympathy! uie
covered that there was unanimous oPlioh Noi9
frankly expressed in private conversation, even ny
The most rzbid enemies Of the exercise Of the fran
,bise nv the negro that, while the freedman might
he Influenced easily TO vote way or the other IN
local elections, there was neither money ehous" /"
buy nor power enough to intimidate nm from 'ot"s
for the Republican candidate In Presidential canvass
lie believes that the party which freed him Is the
party upon which he must rely mainly to secure inc
full exercise of his citizenship and freedom"
Mr. Depew was asked if he had read the Fs'i-
mony given BY President Mcleod, Of the Philadelphia
and Reading Railroad Company, before the Legislative
Investigating Committee. He replied:
Eyes, / read it while away III Tie lnDuhe. 'ir'
Mcleod Is a very able man, and the communion
which he has succeeded in bringing about is demon
stra,ioD TO the public OF the ability and power WHICH
his friends have long known he possessed"
"Do you indorse his views he value to the gen
eral public OF the consolidation Of vast Interests suc
a. this which Mr.. Mcleod has effected :" was asked
would not go far he does on the SUBJECT
OF combinations" replied Mr.. Depew. No matter
how good a thing may be-" he continued, III can De
made bad by having too much OF 10. The very b1'
and most useful Of foods, spiritual mental and bodily
can be made 10 the purposes for which they
were created by their Incorporate use There Is 40
question but that to certain extent consultations
o. railroad properties under single manageehtS di'
for the public good but ii is equally clear that 1t
would not lie for the public good TO have all oopora
tons of the United States under one management
That raises the question at once, why should not inc
Government be the owner and the manager Under
snch conditions individual enterprise ambition ana
legitimate competition are lost In paternaism winch
is bad for the state TIC corporations ana the peope
@Thcre is no question that the constellation OF the
various links which constitute the present New-York
Central Railroad was AN excellent thing for the people,
for the and for tie properties There IS no qnc'
Hon that allied lines naturally working together be
tween certain defined termlni like Chicago ana new
York can be operated better and more economicaly
bv one management: but the consolidating OF all the
connecting lines between Chicago and New-lOrk "ould
be a misfortune and a calamity, much To the prop
e,tjcs as To the public do not anticipate the CANCERS
fran, tbe present coal combination which some very
good PEOPLE fear OF course there is another qucS-
ton in that problem than the consolidation OF carry
Ing corporations and that is the control OF very I'M
portant product which Is necessary IN the arts, III
for domestic purposes, Dut us i'hb
az thers is a minority strong enough 10 maintain ITSELF
go, a. own markets. mine its own material