Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-12
EP. Will SON TALK S
He Has Not Yet Analysed the Vote Which
Defeated Him.
He Says the Cause of Tariff Reform Is
Not Dead and That the Movement
is Not to BE Abandoned.

ton last night for the north He was
gentleman who has been much In demand
by the III reviewers since the election, but
who has successfully escaped them. ana
who has apparently desired to do so. The
man was W illiam l.. Wilson of West Vir-
gina, the chairman of the committee on
ways and means, one OF the most co.,
spicuods in the long list of defeated Con-
gressmen. Mr. Wilson has been in this
city Tor two days. but he has kept himself
in rigid seclusion, for the reasons here
stated, and possibly because, in fact, he
did not care to come before the public in
an interview as 10 the causes of the demo-
cratic deieat. But MIR. Wilson meets both
uei eat anu the interviewer with the same
courage and courtesy, and, hnuing that he
could not well escape, he SAID enough to
show that defeat has not dimmed his ardor
or changed mis- purpose in the cause or
tariff reform and that 1t is his intention to
go forward with that work, however greatly
the ranks in which he has been nSnti lg
have been reduced in numbers.
Mr. Wilson was on his way to Boston to
denver lecture in the Star course on
New Problems Which Beset Popular Gov
ernment." lie found IL necessary, upon
returning from his campaign, to keep HIM
self in rigid seclusion, and to devote HIM
self to the completion OF the lecture which
he had promised to deliver. MIR. Wilson
looks fausued from his long, arduous, ex-
| citing and unsuccessful campaign.
As to His own Defeat.
But he imprssses every one who talks
with him with his sincerity, and with the
confidence and enthusiasm which ne has
In the cause that he advocates. He was
not disposed to make any statement in an
interview form at present as to his views
of the causes of the democratic defeat in
the election. he said, in general way,
tnat he might Soon over his own signature,
summarize his opinions, but that he did not
care to go into the subject in an off-hand
way. AS to his own district he said: Il
do not know whether my defeat was
caused by the fact that democrats stayed
at home or not, as is alleged to have been
the case elsewhere. l have only thus far
received the general statement" said Mr.
Wilson, "as to majorities. L have been
furnished with no details which will en-
able me to analyZe the vote. Whether the
democrats in my district remained away
from the polls in considerable numbers or
voted against me i do not know, and L do
not now care to speculate upon that SUBJ
ject There Will be time enough for that
when the official detailed returns shall come
in"
Il am told that in other districts deuo-
Gratis did absent then selves from the polls;
but L do not care to speak on that subject
at present as 10 my own district, as L am
not advised as to the factS. 1t is enough
for my present purpose to know that 1 Was
defeated by sufficient ms Jority to make it
certain that my OF IOnent VIII be given his
Il
politics just now. You may be surprised
to hear me say il, but it is fact that l
long aga engaged to deliver a lecture in the
star course in Boston, on Monday night
next, on New Problems That Beset Popu-
lar Government" and that L have been en-
gagged for the last two days, end 1 may
say nights, in making belated preparations
for tnat lecture; ard L an starting now
for Boston with only just time enough -
reach there to meet the engagement, and i
hope to get some rest on the way. | do
not suppose in view of the large major
ity the commonwealth of Massachusetts
has given Tor the republican ticket, that
my defeat will haldly be col sidered one of
the problems ttIat beset popular govern
Dlent; and L have rot been injecting my
personality into that lecture"
He Has No Barrel.
do you mean to say" Mr.. Wilson was
asked, that you have been compelled to
come exhausted from the long labors of
this exciting campaign to prepare this
lecture? Why did you rot turn over your
barrel and give the lecture new name, as
some who occupy the lecture platform seem
to do?
The reason is" said Mr.. Wilson, that
IL / were disposed to do that 1 have no
barrel. 1t has always been very difficult
for me to keep anything, and, as a matter
of fact, l have preserved very little that
have ever prepared. L have frequently
seen going the rounds extracts from some
of my work which seemed to some to be
worthy of circulation, but which / do not
myself possess"
Whenever / have anything to do of a lit
erary character 1 am generally compelled
to commence at the beginning. This causes
great deal of hard labor but 1 have the
advantage of knowing that the work pro-
duCed is my latest thought. And so L lave
been working away since the election to
keep my Boston promises as to new prob
lens which beset popular government, and
I happy L
health and strength to do it,
This was interesting, but 1t did not give
any definite Information as to Mr.. Wilson's
views as to the cause of tariff reform, Of
cere and enthusiastic an advocate. 1t was
suggested to him that his friends would
not believe that he would put mis- hands to
the plough and turn back. He answered:
TnriG Reform Not Dead.
II certainly do not believe that the cause
of tariff reform is dead, or that the move
ment is to be abandoned. Whatever may
have been the causes of the democratic
defeats,I believe that the advocates Of tariff
reform are as numerous and will be as
active as they ever have been. The re-
publicans, l am confident, are as much
surprised at the magnitude of their victory
now as we were two years ago at the great
triumph of tariff reform"
Mr. Wilson perSistently refused to be led
into detailed discussion of the election. or
of it's results, but he said enough to show
that whatever others may do he will not
surrender Il iot of his position on the tariff
question because Mr.. Dayton received more
votes for Congress in his district than he
did himself AS to the suggestion that the
goSSips were busy in finding some comfOrta-
ble place for him In the diplomatic service
and that the only vacant position that had
been discovered is the mission to Peru, Mr.
Wilson's answer was smile.