The Writings of Carl Schurz/To B. B. Cahoon, April 11th, 1883
TO B. B. CAHOON
Let me thank you for your kind letter of March 26th. I should have answered it much more promptly had I not been somewhat overcrowded with work. So you think Mr. Julian was completely answered? I have been attacked and vilified a good deal. But nobody ever did it so clumsily as Mr. Julian. He deserved what he got. But I have had one great satisfaction on this occasion. I spent a few days at Washington and went over my decisions and records with some of my old officers in the Interior Department to see whether there were any vulnerable points in my administration. We did this as impartially as we could, and I am happy to say, while mistakes had been made in small things as will always be the case, we did not find anything of importance that would not stand the most searching investigation and criticism. And that, I think, is the judgment of my successors. It is the kind of record I want to leave to my children.
What you say about the two old parties and about the tariff is perfectly true. But it is in my opinion by no means certain that the tariff question will be much of an issue in the next Presidential campaign. It would be if the Democrats had courage enough to tackle it at the next session of Congress. But whether they will have that courage is very doubtful. I shall not be surprised if one of the free-trade Democrats should bring in a bill with a great flourish of trumpets to have it quietly smothered by his party friends. Such things have been seen before, and the Democratic party may be foolish enough to try it again. It is easy to see that if they let the next session pass without doing anything, their position on that question will be very weak and unmeaning.
On the whole, however, I think we are gaining as to the general character of our political life. The reform movement has won some important positions and the ear of the people. There will be a rearrangement of parties, probably, in a very few years. But it is difficult to say upon what dividing question it will take place. Meanwhile, we must watch and do the best we can.