Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-07

Y
a few lines in his powerful and striking
face, there Is little change that an init
mate friend would discover.
Gov. Shepherd chatted pleasantly with
Star reporter today about his trip abroad.
He spoke also of American politics and
Tuesdays election.
when 1 got back to New York. he said,
IT surprised some of my friends by de-
claring that Tammany would carry The
city by 10000 majority. 1t was apparent
to me that there could be no other result.
1 told some Of my fusion friends, who were
indulging in roseate prophecies of what
they were going to do in municipal way,
that they would find themselves disap-
pointed. because Tammany absolutely
could depend upon 10000 or 10000 votes in
New York city under any circumstances
that at the present time would be sure of
getting the help of the great German ele-
ment, which had been angered by the
course of Roosevelt in enforcing the eX-
else laws.
1.-THE result justified my prediction. 1t is
an unfortunate thing. too, that Commits
sioner Roosevelt and Mayor Strong did not
pursue different and more sensible course
in their direction of the vital affairs of New
York city. 1t Is just as easy to enforce a law
without band of music as with 1t. But Mr..
Roosevelt preferred the toot of trumpets
and the blare of drums, and Tuesdays fig
ureS told the tale of what his course led to.
Then Mayor Strong, while he Is a good man.
had been boxed UP in his dry goods store for
so many years that he was not qualified to
properly direct the affairs of a great COM
munity. The reform party in New York had
an opportunity to remain in the control of
city affairs indefinitely, and with wise and
conservative exercise of power by Mayor
Strong and his assistants, this would have
been assured. and the steady disintegra-
ton of Tammany's influence which had
commenced last yesr, would have followed
in the natural order Of things. Now Tam
many Is on top again, and 1t will all have to
be done over again.
The General Result.
1.-THE results of the various elections in
the different states," continued Gov. Shop
herd, 'is not at all surprising to any one who
has watched the conditions of the country
and perceived the widespread and rapidly
growing desire for change in the policy of
the government. Three months ago.. you
remember, told you that I did not place
any faith in the general representatio
that were being loudly made of a boom in
the business conditions. There is no gain
saying the fact that the impression still con-
tinues. ard no substantial Improvement will
be possible until something Is done to lay
the anxiety of the public over the admins
tration Of the national affairs. l hope and
pray that the republican party will adopt a
vigorous American policy; the policy to lead
and not to follow. We have been entirely
too subservient to other nations in shaping
our own affairs.
I'VE have waited to see what they were
going to do instead of taking some spe-
cific and determined stand of our own
Senator Sherman hit the nail very plumply
on the head the other day in his interview
in The Star when he said that some means
must be adopted to raise larger revenue
than the tariff. He was absolutely cor
rect in that. We cannot keep on borrow
ing money, for there is bound to be de-
mand for a settlement some time. Under
our present financial system. in which our
securities are largely held abroad, we feel
the effects of every little furry that occurs
coming across the water and it will be
due to the wild and crazy speculation that
has been going on for the past ten or fif-
teen years in South African and Australian
gold mines. About that time the number
of shrewd operators bought up all the prop
critics in South Africa, good. bad and indif-
ferent and then proceeded to float the
stock based upon them Not less than a
billion dollars of European money has been
invested in those classes of securities and
fabulous fortunes have been made by the
men who engineered the schemes. Two
or three men are spoken of in England
who have made from thirty to one hun
dred millions apiece by this means and
the investors who fell over each other In
an attempt to put their money in will lose
every cent in ninety-nine cases out of a
hundred.
The American Policy,
The American policy must be made free
and Independent, that our commercial
condition or rather our financial safety may
depend more largely upon ourselves than it
has in the past. There is no use waiting for
European countries to do anything and es-
pecially England. English people are the
most conservative on the face of the earth
hon TO oalyi
cellent illustration of this may be found in
the underground railroad in London This
road circles the city, and is the most con-
venient means for reaching any portion of
the great metropolis. Still 1t is used only by
those who are absolutely compelled to pa
trCbiZe 1t because steam is the motive power
and the smoke and dirt is awful. They
could nut trolleys in those tunnels and run
the cars much cheaper and do away with all
unpleasant conditions that now drive travel
ers away from it, and pay splendid interest
on the investment instead of a scant two per
cent, which is now gained, by adopting cleo
tricity, but the directors will not do it. Now,
what is the use of a vigorous, wide-awake
enterprising nation like ours hesitating
about aiding self-reiance to our praise
worthy attributes and doing something for
ourselves. So 1 hope the republican party
W i'll open its eyes and see these things just
as ninaty-nine cut of every hundred of its
members see them, and give us policy that
will relieve all our present ills and make
their repetition an impossibiity. A great
step toward the renewal of our financial
stability would be made, believe, by retir-
ing the silver certificates The silver itself,
in the first place, should have been issued
when it was recognized as money, instead of
having silver certificates to represent for
in such case there would have been moth
ing TO redeem.
1--WE should have silver in actual circulation
just as they have abroad. In France the
smallest note is 100 francs. or about $40. In
England the Is note is the smallest, and in
Scotland they issue Fl notes. You never see
a gold piece unless you ask for it at the
hank. All the business is done with silver,
and in Germany particularly they absorb the
silver as 1t comes into the country, and put
1t into the circulating medium. We should
have done this ourselves in the old days, and
there would have been less Of this COM