Page:Speeches, correspondence and political papers of Carl Schurz, Volume 4.djvu/497

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&emsp; My dear Mr. President: There are some things which should be said to you now, and as I have been asked to do it, I crave your indulgence for a few minutes.

It is your endeavor, I apprehend, to serve the cause of reform consistently with what you conceive to be the interest of your party. Under such circumstances a correct view of the relation between that cause and party interest is of high importance. In this respect it should be observed that the political situation has of late undergone a significant change. It may be doubted whether the National Labor party now organizing will live long. But it seems very probable that it will appear with some strength in the election of 1888. Had a Labor candidate in 1884 received in the whole State as many votes as Henry George received last month in this city, you would have lost New York by at least 20,000. It is by no means unlikely that two years hence a Labor candidate will receive at least something like the George vote, in the State. Much less would suffice to defeat the Democrats on the basis of the figures of 1884, considering that, according to trustworthy estimates, fully three-fourths of the Labor vote is drawn from the Democratic ranks. In New Jersey and Connecticut the proportion would probably be about the same.

The Democrats will, therefore, be doomed to defeat, unless votes enough to cover the deficiency be won over from the Republicans.

The Democratic party has, indeed, gained one important point. The superstition that a Democratic President will absolutely ruin the country, is effectually dispelled; that is to say, when a Democratic nomination especially commends itself to favor, or a Republican nomination