Year: 1879

jo, LII " OnolAA l.


instrumentalities in the administration Of
government, and reliance upon force and the
strong hand of centrl power, has ever dared
to claim for the executive arm Of the gov
ernment the power which Mr.. Hayes insists
upon. Read his veto messages carefully, and
see if exaggerate their scope and meaning.


"WelI, General, the impression got abroad
in the country, in the earlier stages of the de.
BATE that the Republicans out-generalled the
Democrats and put them at disadvantage.
How do you account for that?"


"It is due to several causes. As I have
said, the Radicals sounded their gongs and
made the most noise at first, and frightened
the timid minded of both parties. They
talked about revolution and rebellion and
secession and slavery and treason and
Confederate brigadiers' and almost every
thing else except the real issues under dis
cussion. But the country got accustomed to
this, and as soon as it was discovered that the
revolution did not begin, and that the Con-
federate brigadiers' were the most tonserva-
tive and prudent men in Congress, the people
began to look at the facts, the scare wore off,
and the Radicals weakened. Another cause
for the impression to which you refer is to be
found, I think, in the coloring which was
given to the debates in the Associated Press
dispatches from Washington. When | came
home sick in June, l was struck with the
character of these dispatches. In them the
Radicals were almost always made to appear
to better advantage than the Democrats,
whether Gesignedly or not cannot say. But
having pretty correct idea of the drift OF
the debate, could see that there was partial
ity shown to the Radical speakers, and the
people naturally formed erroneous conclu.
sions from those dispatches. AS to the Dem"
ocratic management, of course there were
mistakes, but in the main the controversy was
managed with great skill and tact and ability
by the Democratic leaders"


"I Judge from what you have said, that the
financial question will not occupy so impor-
tant position in the approaching campaign
as the political questions to which you have
referred p -.


81 do not think so. In my judgment the
Radicals committed a great party blunder in
not forcing the financial question upon the
Democrats, instead of permitting the Demo
Gratis to compel them To meet the issues which
they (the Democrats) made on the use Of
troops at the polls,' and the deputy mar
shals,' supervisors test oath, &C., &c. True,
the Republicans were divided on financial
questions as we'll as the Democrats, but not
so much so, and if they had forced the fight
ON that issue at the beginning of the extra
session, and kept it up, the Democrats of the
East and West might have been divided but
they did not do so, and the opportunity has
passed. I think the differences of opinion
among Democrats, on the silver question, (for
that is now about the only financial matter
upon which there is difference of opinion
is more apparent than real, and hope and
believe that before the Presidential can
vass opens, all differences will disappear and
the Democrats will be solid to 60 into the
fight on the consolidation doctrines of the
Radicals. I do not understand either wing
Of the Democratic party to be opposed to sil.
yer nor to its equalization with gold"


"What, then, is the point of difference in
the Democratic party on the silver question p


"As said awhile ago, think the difference
is more apparent than real. Nobody objects
to silver as currency, and to its being made
equal with gold, but the question is how this
is to be accomplished. One set of Democrats,
more notably those, who favored the "Warner
Silver Bill" as it was originally introduced,
think that the unlimited free coinage ofsilver
by the Government is the best way to bring
about the equality-that is to say, if you
have $4,000 worth of silver bullion, which
is worth in reality but eighty five cents in the
dollar of 4123 grains you shall be allowed to
carry the bullion to United States mint
and have it coined into standard silver dollars,
so that the moment the Government stamp ls
put upon;it, that which was intrinsically worth
but eighty-fve cents, becomes by this artificial
appliance worth one hundred cents: On the
other hand, there are those who think that
silver having been fully remonetized and in
vested with unlimited legal tender power, it is
best to limit its coinage for the present, at
least, and gradually restore its equality to
gold. They think that the two metals, if let
alone, in their present relations, will readjust
themselves to each other, and to the bus''
ness of the country with, perhaps, such modi.
fications as trade and commercial interest and
time will dictate and justify. This is the
leading difference, only as to the means to
accom- plish the same result, and agree with
those who hold the latter opinions. 1t is
a very difficult, complicated subject one OF
the most difficult in governmental science,
is this question of finance, and very few
men in the world understand it, at least
in the application Of its principles to govern.
ment. And yet you hear men talk about it
as glibly and confidently as if it were as sim.
pie as ''The Rule of Three" I confess, very
frankly, that there are many branches Of the
subject that I do not fully comprehend and
grasp, but prefer in this, as upon all other
questions, to take the conservative position,
and in the meantime to give the subject can
did consideration and the exercise OF best
judgment"


"In what respect do the advocates of the
unlimited free coinage Of silver claim that it
will be beneficial to the people?"


"Why, they say it will make money more
abundant, stimulate business, enhance prices,
employ labor, and in that way relieve the
pressure Of the times"


us it your opinion that it would have that
effect ?"


"No, not to any appreciable degree. be.
lieve that business will revive more surely,
perhaps somewhat more slowly, and reach a
normal condition more certainly-that pros
perity will be restored in all parts of the coun-
try upon a more substantial and healthful
and permanent basis if the finances should
be let alone, (save one change in the system
which 1 could suggest) than by incessant
tinkering, and the preparation of financial
nostrums at each session of Congress. Money
is the most timid and conservative Of al the
elements and instrumentalities of business,