The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-09-10
SULLIVAN ON FINANCE.
The Views of the Big Pugilist on the
Burning Question Of the HOur--How
Cleveland Knocked Out
Prosperity.
Prosperity.

Prosperity.
Boston, Mass Sept. 2, 1895
Editorial Cor. PROGRESSIVE FARMER.
John L Sullivan, for twelve years
champion pugilist of the world, has
been interviewed by hundreds of re-
porters. but not one of them ever ap-
preached him for his views on finance.
Daily papers usually avoid this q1es
ton as much as possible.
People like to read interviews. But
they are worthless unless the person
intervie we'd has either a State or Ma
tional reputation. Mr.. Sullivan has
both. In fact, he is the only man in
Boston who is known outside the city,
unless it is the colored legislator, Tea
mob, who played euch a horrible joke
upon the Governor of Virginia. Thos.
B. Reed, of Maine, E7-Speaker of the
House, and John L Sullivan are the
only two persons in New Englard well
enough known to the public to waste
time and paper on for an interview.
found MI. Sullivan at Gays Hotel,
corner Washington and Dover streets.
| He was chatting with some friends,
and, for a wonder, was strictly sober.
He has not drank much for five months.
A neat fitting gray suit, cut-away coat,
straw hat and patent leather shoes
gave him the appearance of well TODD
business man, rather than that of a
sport. I told him I was gathering
financial data and getting the views of
all classes of people and that I wanted
to ask him a few questions. He smiled
and said:
"Well, pard, I expect you've come
to the goats house for wool. What~I
don't know about the financial question
would fill all the books in the Boston
public library. Seer But I'm ready
to answer questions"
Mr.. Sullivan" I said, do you think
the repeal of the Sherman law had any
thing to do with the recent hard times
and business stagnation, or do you at
tribute them to other ~causes9"
Mr.. Sullivan said: II don't under
stand this business at all. but I do know
that to stop making money is a sure
way to decrease the amount in circula
ton. Any fool ought to know that
S5e9- / can tell that business has been
duller since this law was repealed
Cleveland had been in training for sew
eral years getting ready to knock out
the silver men. Looks like Brother
Cleveland knocked out the whole coUE-
try in the second round. She was
pretty groggy before, but that left
upper cut of his did the business. Seer
I think he ought to have the belt"
"What do you think of the tariff
racket" I asked.
'O1, it's like the money question
all mixed up. 1 live in a protective
State, but I can't tell any difference
If you keep up high tariff and have no
money to buy goods the manufacturer
will feint with his right and land on
your ii s with his left. Orif the tariff
is reduced and you still have nc money
to buy cheap goods-no matter how
cheap-youu get a stiffener under
the jaw and go over the ropes. If I
can get a suit of clothes for five dollars
and only have two dollars, I'm badly
in the soup9 See2"
What, in your opinion, is the best
way out of the difficulty? 2" I asked.
Mr.. Sullivan said: "Why, the folks
have got to vote out of it. They
shouldn't let the politicians put up any
more bluff See9 If they~put up men
who are wrong on the money question,
who are for contracting the currency,
let everybody land on their wiLd See?
Let the folks go into training right
away and train hard. Punch the bag
three hours every day. Get ready for
a fight to the finish. All the other
fights have been draws, with a snide
referee. Cleveland has played foul all
the time. The nabobs will try to fill
his place. Both Of the leading parties
will nominate heavy weight p%lutocrats,
I guess. That's always their game.
Maybe one or both will promise to hit
straight from the shoulder and land
above the belt, but they r born liars.
See?'
Mr. Sullivan, do you think the new
party is on the right line, and will it
save the country9"
II don't see mnch of it up here in
Massachusetts,. I consider it in the
feather weight class up here. But I
learn that it is putting on a good deal
of muscle in the South ard West.
Knowing so little about it I don't care
to say whether it is right or wrong. If