Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-11-12
PRESIDENT HARRISON
Is Alleged to Have Talked Freely
About the Recent Election,


NEW YogK, New. IA special to the
Herald from Washington says: President
Harrison talked freely today about the de-
feat of his party. He discussed not only
the recen. election. but the gravity of the
situation which now confronts the Republic
can party.
The overwhelming defeat of the Repub-
lican party, the President said, was due
mainly to the position of the party on the
tariff question. The Republicans forced
this issue to an extreme which evidently
did not meet with the approval of the
people.
This expression of opinion on the part of
the President verifies the rumor current
here some time ago that il was the party
and not the President ho took such an ex-
treme position on the two leading issues on
which the Republicans campaign was to be
made. 1t was the popular belief that the
force bill'' issue kept the solid South
within the old lines, but in the Presidents
estimation il was also brought to the sup
port of the Democratic ticket many votes
in the North.
The verdict of last Tuesday. said the
President, eouli be construed in but one
way. 1t meant the condemnation of the
extreme high tariff policy of the Repub-
lieans. The inevitable result, if the party
Is to hope for a renewal of power, was the
modification OF this position, not the re-
nuneiaiion altogether of the protective
tariff policy.
President Harrison does not think much
of Chairman Carter of the Republican Ma
tionaI Committee. He consented TO Mr..
Car;er's appointment only when it became
tbat nfahl 10 tp,avv
could be secured lie said the campaign
had been mismanaged aud much better re-
suits would have been secured but for the
Rainbow Chasing" schemes to which Mr..
Carter gave eountenance and assistance.
The President is particularly chagrined
at the result in his native state and be-
ieves it largely due to a lack of good gem
eralship. He said he endeavored to im-
press on the Republican managers that
there was an absolute necessity of keeping
the Republican states in line and carrying
New York.
The President said he realized TINT for
some time past the drift of public sentiment
was against him and his party and it was
thus that led him to force this advice upon
the party leaders. The disregard of this
advice, the President said, had much to do
with the result last Tuesday.
The President said he realized before any
of the returns came IN that he was defeated.
He hoped for success until the last hour,
but admitted that he had not expected it,
One of the reasons for the Presidents
doubt As to his election was the disaffection
of number of prominent leaders Of the
party.
This is evidenced by his statement with
regard to Dudley, Quay and Cameron. The
President believes Cameron did all in his
power to defeat the ticket. Practically the
President admitted that Dudley's influence
in Indiana had been used, if not to knife
the ticket, to keep his friends from work
ing for it. The President also intimated
that Quay's influence had injured the ticket
in New York and Indiana.
The President further said that while
some mistakes might have been made.
nothing could have withstood the popular
uprising of the people against the high pro-
tective policy to which the Republican
party stood pledged by the Mckinley law.