The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-01-17

OF that city TO Governors Hendrlcks ana
Williams. Owing to the pressure upon the
SentineFs columns made by the Terbatim re-
port of the convention it was impossible to
give full account of the above mentioned
event in the paper of the next morning. In
Justice, however, 10 the lion hearted democ-
racy of old Shelby, the Sentinel now pub
fishes the speeches made on the occasion,
which are eminently suggestive of the Po-
litical feeling and temper of the people in
that section.
SPEECH OF HON. ALONzO BLAIR
The Hon. Alonzo Blair, on behalf of the
Shelbyville democracy, presented the cane
to Governor Hendricks in the following
words:
GOVERNOR HENDRIcKs-0n this day sixty
two years ago Andrew Jackson and his brave
soldiers won for their country an ever men,
orable victory in the battle of New Orleans
Thee moral and intellectual qualities that
distinguished the general there and the
statesman elsewhere, the energy, determine
ton, ''by the eternal" will, that shrank from
no danger and overcame all obstacles, earned
for our hero the sobriquet Of "Old Hickory"
name which has become emblematical with
the democratic party, and will be reverenced
by it as long as our party retains Organi-
Zation. On those periodical occasions when
the people are preparing for the exercise of
the duty of selecting their rulers and
choosing the men who shall make their
laws, the democracy carry the
hickory boughs in their professions and
raise hickory poles in their tow, S and vii
lagos as symbols of the strong muscles and
honest hearts of the masses OF their party,
as emblems of the tenacity of purpose, the
determination and the will which hold
brave men together and bring them up
smiling to the front in every contest, al
though over and over they may have been
bent to the earth and beaten down by an
overwhelming opposition. In accordance
with this time honOred custom sir, the de-
nlocracy of your old town raised on the Sd
day of July last, the first pole of the campaign
in the United States Not salts
fed with this. the democracy
of Shelby county, few weeks afterward,
raised on the public square at Shelbyville
the highest pole in the country, which bore,
during the campaign. nearly 200 feet aloft,
banner inscribed. "Tilden, Hendricks and
reform" After it became an ascertained
fact that Samuel j. Tilden and Thomas A.
Hendricks were elected president and vice
president of the United States, after the
fact was established that our candidates had
received nearly quarter of a million major
ity OF the votes cast for president and vice
president by their cOuntrymen, and clear
and unequivocal ma jority of the vote of the
electoral college. the democracy of Shelby
county took down what had be-
come Familiarity known as the
boss pole" and converted it into
on this glorious anniversary to present to you.
To add to the value of this gift in your esti-
nation, we have mounted the cane with the
head of one which was carried by your hon
ored father when you were boy, an heir
loom now returned to your family, recalling
by its embellishments the hermitage and
with il the fact that the man to whom you
owe your existence was as proud in his
youth and his manhood as you and and all
of US now are OF the name of Andrew Jack
son.
You will perceive, sir that 1 am accom-
panied on this interesting occasion by sew
era hundred of Your old townsmen and fell
low citizens. We have come here to-day
TO pay you our respects in person.
ard to bear to you the compliments of those
we have left behind us, but whose hearts are
with us and with you. To be the spokes-
man to-day of your friends and mine is to
be hOnOred far above my hopes or deserts.
To express my feelings and theirs is entirely
beyond my power You were raised
amongst us; you have been honored by us to
the extent of all we had to give, and by your
ability, honesty and fidelity you have hon
ored as hundredfold in return. We have
lndored you unreservedly from first to last
And now we come like members of one fam
lily to give you another expression of
confidence and esteem and to share
the honor which the entire cOun-
try has conferred upon you
We come to congratulate you upon your
election to the office of vice president of the
United States and to assure you that the
people box forward to the lapse of only
four years to place you in the highest office
in the git OF your countrymen.
And now sir, we ask that the memories
and the traditions which this cane will
keep fresh in your mind may be associated
with us, the old friends of your childhood
and your manhood, Please accept Il, sir,
with the assurance that We will SUPPORT you
with our whole hearts in the future as
in the past.
Governor Hendricks was apparently
greatly pleased with the testimonial from
his old neighbors and present political sup
porters, and briefly responded in BETTING
terms expressing his thanks in a character
istcally graceful way.
SPEECH OF BELL s. SUTTON ESQ.
The presentation to Governor Williams
was equally pleasant. He received the cane
from the hands of Bell s. Sutton, ESQ, who
spoke as follows:
GOVERNOR WILLIAMs-It becomes nv
pleasant duty, on behalf of the democracy OF
Shelby county, to present TO you this hick-
DRY cane, made from the celebrated boss
pole of Shelbyville, that lowered aloft dur
ing this memorable centennial campaign to
greater height than any other pole
e throughout the entire country symbol OF
our political principles so essential to the
prosperity and perpetuity of this govern
ment
We raised alOft our banners and inscribed
upon them the honored names of Tildan and
He2dricks Williams and Gray and now
when victory has been fairly won, Shelby
county feels proud of the part she so nobly
performed in that herculean struggle for
honesty and reform.
And to you, sir, more than to any
other man in this nation, are we
indebted for this glorious victory. In your
nomination the people OF Indiana recognized
a who fully met the demand OF the
times The c0rrunfion and axfravaUouco "a