Year: 1879

That popular form of collecting opinions
which has come into vogue in the American
press within the last ten or twelve years.
and which is designated by the word Gin
terview," is one of the most instructive, or
at least one of the most readable, features OF
recent journalism. To be sure, tho offhand
opinions thus given to reporters are some
times hasty and crude; but, as the persons
interviewed are usually those who are pre-
sumed to have bestowed most attention on
the subjects of inquiry, the interviews
represent the best extemporaneous opin-
ions afioat, even when they orc immature.
Some of these impromptu expressions arc
to be weighed, and others merely to be
counted. When Secretary of State is in
terviewed respecting facts within his official
cognizance all that he consents to say is
to be accepted as possessing all the GER
tainty Of an official declaration. So, like
wise, when q great lawyer or jurist consents
to be interviewed on legal question, or
leading bankers and merchants on some
new emergency in business affairs, or emf
nent physicians respecting pestilence, or
insurance officers respecting affairs with
which they are conversant, their Off
hand views are the result of ripe ex-
perience and knowledge and arc Of more
value than the most elaborate disquisitions
on the topics which have suddenly become
of interest to the community. The modcsty
which would prevent such men from OBJ
truding their opinions generally yields to
the persuasive solicitations Of IN intelli-
gent interviewer, and the public has the
great advantage Of prompt instruction from
the highest sources. Moreover, it often
happens that able men who have important
views TO communicate suggest and invite
inquiry, to save themselves from the appear
ance of proffering their opinions unasked.
The most instructive comments on fresh
events frequently come from such sources,
and the dialogue form in WHICH they are
given make them readable and attractive.


There is another class of interviews
which, though possessing less intellectual
merit, is hardly less useful to the public


Political movements are controlled by pub
lie opinion, and the political drift at any
time can be intelligently estimated only by
knowing what is moving in the general
mind at that particular time. But such
views must be gathered from wide area to
be of any value. While public opinion is
still in the process of formation local views
are misleading, and it is only by wide
survey and comparison that any safe con-
clusions can be formed as to the general
tendency.


This is illustrated by the striking con-
trast between the interviews which we
published few weeks since with men,
bers of the New York Legislature and the
print to-day with all, or nearly oil, the demo-
cratic members of the late Congress. The
Albany interviews and the subsequent inter-
views in Washington with the congressman
from New York conveyed totally different
impression of the strength of Mr.. Tilden as
Presidential candidate from that which is
given by the broader survey which we
present this morning in the declarations
of the democratic Congressmen from all
the other States. It is evident from these
wider expressions that Mr.. Tilden, instead
of being the general preference of his
party, is strongly objected too weak and
undesirable candidate by q large majority
of the democrats of the United States. In
the South, in the West, and on the Pacific
coast the sentiment of the party is almost
unanimous against his denomination. II
we made this assertion upon our own
vague impressions or haphazard con-
lectures Mr. Tilden's friends might ques-
ton it but in point of fact it is q simple
statement or summary Of the general drift of
the great mass of interviews which we
publish. Is it supposable that all these
democratic Congressman can be mistaken
respecting the sentiment of their own States
and districts? If they are mistaken it is
their mistake and not ours we merely re-
port what they say. The reasonable pre-
sumption is that they understand the views
of their constituents, and it is difficult to
see what motive they can have to misrepre-
sent them. II they reflect the sentiment of
their respective localities the nomination of
Mr.. Tilden is impossible without great
change ofpublic sentiment in tho democratic
party.


There is disclosed in these interviews o
strong drift Of democratic preference for
Mr.. Thurman throughout the South and
throughout the West. But the sentiment
in favor of Thurman is by no means SO
decided and general as the opposition to
Tilden. Some Of the Southern and Western
democrats think almost as we'll of Hen
bricks as they do of Thurman, and
smaller number have leaning toward
Bayard; but throughout those large sections,
as we'll as in the Pacific States, any one Of
the three would be decidedly preferred to
Tildcn. The knowledge of this fact will
weaken him in his own State, where he has
many enemies in the democratic party. If
tho Democratic National Convention wcra