Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-23
THE POLITICAL SITUATION.
What the Secretary of the Treasury Thinks
Of tho Republican Outlook.
He BELrEvEs GEN. HARRISON WILL BH aE-
ELECTED; THAT THE REPUBLICANS WILL cARnr
ALL THE NORTHERN AND sonH sourzxlx
sTATEs-DKMocRArIc IDENTIFICATION.

A STAR reporter asked Secretary Of the Treas
ury Foster, who has just returned from Ohio,
what he thought Of the political situation 'Thave
been in Ohio" Mr.. Foster replied, "and that IL
republican state. OF course Mr.. Harrison
will carry it, and we sre going to elect fifteen
or sixteen Of the members. think the general
situation is about as favorable for the republi-
can party as it could be. Mr.. Harrison's cleo
ton, think, is assured. It is my candid opin-
ion that he will not only carry all the northern
states, but two three Of the southern states a.
we'll.
"THE TARIFF THE GREAT ISSUE"
"The great issue Of the campaign is the tariff.
The democrats have taken the position Of op-
posing all customs revenue, even though neces-
sary to the support Of the government. That
is the true meaning Of their declarations. They
have drawn themselves up in line in opposition
to any protection, great or little, incidental or
otherwise, declaring it all unconstitutional
They cannot get away from that. They have
had great deal to say about the bankrupt
treasury The treasury is not bankrupt. We
are meeting our obligations, the government
Is getting along all right and the treasury is in
good condition. But if they honestly believed
that the treasury was bankrupt how do they
explain their conduct during the session of Con-
gress just closed. The House did not cut down
expenditures. They did not try to devise
any means Of increasing the revenue.
which they have declared was not
sufficient to meet the expenditures. On the
contrary the House passed bills to reduce the
revenue $50, 900 900 year. 1t looks as if they
were determined to make sure Of it and bank
rupt the treasury if it were not so. Bank.
ruptcy seems to be what they wanted. They
will probably not make much out Of that cry
Their leaders are saying that they are as sound
on the silver question we are, but every
body knows that the party believes in the free
coinage Of silver, and that they will seize the
first opportunity they can get to enact free
coinage law. Their pretenses on that point
are false. They are trying to make force
bill issue, but they are not succeeding. The
life is all out of that
DEMOCRATS SPLITTING UP IN THE SOUTH
"The democrats are splitting up in the south
by reason Of their own methods As long as
there is any attempt from the outside to reform
the methods in the south and bring about fair
elections. anything they can term force they
manage to hold together to resist it. But il
they are left to fight among themselves, il we
do not resist them, they will suffer by their
own frauds. As a matter of policy / never
favored anything like force. / voted against
the bill when | was in Congress. Malone was
right about his plan in Virginia, though did
not realize it at the time. He opposed any re-
publican candidate for Congress being put in
the field, and proposed to let the democrats
fight it out among themselves. Under such
conditions Independent candidates are bound to
come out. Poth sides contend for the negro
vote and they are bound to count it
LOOK AT ALABAMA.
"Tbe Jones men counted the negroes in the
negro districts in order to get their representa-
ton in the convention and nominate their man.
Then Kolb ran as an independent and the Jones
men had to count the negro vote in order to
elect their candidate. The reform starts with
the primaries in the fight of rival candidates
for supremacy and keeps up all the way through
If there is TO common enemy to combine
against. If there is white county of 5000
controlled bv one candidate before the conven-
ton and another candidate controls black
county Of 5000 the latter is going to insist upon
counting the negro vote in his county in order
to get as strong representation in the conven-
ton as his rival. Then when it comes to the
election he must have these same votes or be
beaten. That is the way it was with Jones in
Alabama. The negro vote enters into the aues-
ton of party organization and factional
supremacy and they have to fight it out among
themselves.
"Republicans have been hearing so much
about breaking up the solid south that they
have go. tired of it to great extent and have
no faith. but l feel confident now that il is
going to be broken up this time. think it is
gone. The thing will settle itself, and the
force bill issue is without life think you
can depend upon it that whatever Mr. Harrison
has to say on that subject in his letter will be
wise and will be well said; for all he writes and
says is wise and well put"