The San Francisco call., 1895-07-21


After the answering OF few questions
by Mr.. horr the debate was adjourned to
l o'clock Monday.
ATTITUDE OF THE SOUTH.
Republtcans Wiu Not Demand Repre-
scRtation on the Ticket.
NEW YORK, N. Y, July 2o.-A Wash
ington special says:
Blanche J. Bruce, who was the last negro
United States Senator, and who was
Register of the Treasury by appointment
of President Garfield, has just returned to
Washington after an extended trip through
the South His object was to investigate
the political conditions from a Republican
point of view and to consult with the party
leaders as to the course to be pursued by
them in relation to the next National con-
vention. The results and impressions OF
the trip were stated in an interesting man
ner by Mr.. Bruce at his home in r street
an aristocratic quarter OF this city.
Delegates to previous Republican con-
ventions," he said, "have gone from the
Southern States making considerable noise
in behalf of certain candidates, and in my
opinion have prejudiced the chances OF
the men they favored. In the conventions
of 1884 and 1883, you may recollect, many
of the Southern delegates were for John
Sherman, and were not at all backward in
expressing their preference, but there was
a feeling among the delegates of the North
that they didn't want the nomination
forced upon them by a section of the coun-
try that could not give the candidate of
the convention a solitary electoral vote.
That feeling became SO strong in 1892 at
Minneapolis that proposition was seri-
ously discussed to disfranchise us in Ma
tional convention BY reducing the ratio of
representation in accordance with the vote
OF the State.
at occurred to me that it would be wise
for the Southern delegates to go to the
convention next year without having COM
mitted themselves to any candidate and
without expressing preference for any, and
after learning the preponderance of senti-
ment among the Northern delegates, fall
in with them so far as it was possible to do.
''This view l set before the leaders in the
Southern States as far as it was possible
for me to see them, and I was both sur
prised and gratified to learn that they held
the same view-that it was not new prop
osition. So feel that the Southern Re-
publicans will go to the next National
Convention prepared to exercise more in
fuence than ever before, and at the same
time arouse no undue prejudice against
themselves"
"Will the Southern Republicans push
the claims OF one of their number for the
nomination for Vice President" 2" was asked
of Mr.. Bruce.
'There is some talk of it now," he an
swered. "Henry Clay Evans, who was
elected Governor of Tennessee, was cheated
out of the office; ex-senator Powell Clay
ton of Arkansas, ex-Representative John
w. Moore of the same State and Judge
Nathan Golf of West Virginia have all
been men toned for the honor, but my ad-
vice to the Southern Republicans. is, Wait
until you can show the country some cleo
toral votes from your section before asking
representation on the National ticket.
"Is there any probability of the Repub-
icans carrying any Southern States at the
election in 1852"
Viewed in the light of present condi-
TONS" replied Mr.. Bruce, 81 expect that
they will carry Tennessee and North Caro-
lima. They carried the former last year.
Then, if the present division in the Iemo-
cratic party in Kentucky continues to ex-
ist, see no reason why we should not
carry that State. / confidently rely upon
adding these three States to the Republi-
can column in 1896. Arkansas Republi-
cans say they will carry that State also,
but l have no idea that the count will
show a Republican majority, even were
there majority of Republican tickets in
the ballot-box.
"I found many Democrats all over the
South outspoken in their criticism of the
party management and expressing deter
mination not to vote the National ticket
again. Never in all my experience have
found such condition of things. Bust
ness men said to me that they were dis
gusted with the Democratic administration
of National affairs; that with full contrel
of all branches of the Government the
party had so administered the trust COM
mitted to them as to reduce business men,
in the South at least, to worse condition
than they were even IN the years just after
the war. Then, they said, they had some
thing, now they are utterly prostrated.
we do not agree with your party in many
things they said, but we like your tariff
policy, and believe the Republicans can
successfully manage the National finances.
The Democrats certainly cannot. There
fore, as business men, for business reasons.
we shall support the Republican ticket !"
"Did the proposition to nominate a
Presidential candidate from the South
create any impressionP"
"Only an unfavarable one," replied Mr..
Bruce. 81 had considerable fun with my
Democratic friends on that subject. l
quoted the Washington Posts plea for a
Southern man at the head of the ticket,
and descanted upon the advantages of
Carlisle and Crisp. But they didn't take
kindly to it. They said: You needn't
think you can fool the De mocratic party
with any such proposition as that. You
know that all our prominent men were
connected with the war, and that there is
not the slightest probability of electing a
man President of the United States who
was engaged in fighting against it, The
Southern Democrat recognizes as well as
any one the presence of sentiment in poll