Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-05-12
MORTON'S FIGHT.
An Interesting Chapter About IHdi-
ana POlitics---DespeFate Efforts to
Get Ont of MOrtOn'S CIutches-.-
Little Chance Of Breaking His
PnWar

threatened overthrow of Morton by
| the Republicans of Indiana has be
come so imminent that the reyolu
ton in the party is worthy of note
besides being quite interesting. Evel
since the war there have been semi
occasional efforts to take him from
the lead in party affairs, but the
case has invariably been that he has
whipped the malcontents into line
or least secured a silent acquiesence
to his arbitrary rule. To any one
acquainted with the political history
of Indiana during the past ten or a
dozen years, the spasmodic reyolts
and subsequent surrender, if not the
complete change of front by the re-
volters, all go to attest the
WONDERFUL ABILITY OF MORTON
IN CONTROLLING MEN.
We all know how he first got to
the top and Democrats in Indiana
know much hardihood is required
to aSSail him because of the manner
of his success. He was "the great war
Governor" and instantly you said
word against him you were called
tent, but not so much so as a few
years ago. By being great war
Governor he got the Republican
party of his State in love with him.
He dallied with its affections and Sc
duced it. 1t has since loved and
hated him as the victim of mans
passion does her destroyer. He has
become the Bill Sykes and the party
is his Nancy. The party has at
times during his absence in Wash
ington pursuing his profession as
spOils-hunter realized its position.
Even suicide has been seriously
thought of, but in every instance
so far all efforts to free itself in any
manner have been baffied. He has
always kept his henchman in office
on guard and the victim has never
There is a glorious Oppor-
tunity for escape now, the Liberal
of Indiana seemed to
think, and they are preparing to
leave him. The former efforts have
had, however, nearly as good be-
ginnings and did not succeed. The
trouble has been that he has always
had control of the machinery.
When they would agree to leave
him he would hold up the prospect
of Democratic success, and they had
the courage to allow the party to
commit suicide rather than yield to
him and obey his orders. He work
ed 365 days in the year for the party
and himself, while they would spend
but one day away from their places
of business. He knew more than
they did about primaries, and so
they always came to the conclusion
to live with him during one more
campaign.
One of the most prominent men
now in Indiana had
AN EXPERIENCE
with Morton which illustrates the
point / am trying to make. Several
years ago he was in the lead of one
of these reVOlts. Morton wrote con-
cilatory letters to him from Wash
ingtOn, but he would not cOnciliate.
He continued to curse Morton, and
showed the fetters about the streets
of indianapolis, to show that he
would not cease his flight. Morton
returned home. A few days after
Henry Wilson came to lndlanap0-
lis on his trip through the West.
Morton got up dinneri in Wilson's
honor and invited the man who was
fighting him, with twenty other
distinguished Republicans, who
were Joining in the anti-MortOn
The hour for the din
ner arrived, and only about ten of
the guests were present. Morton
sent out a henchman to inform the
delinquents that Mr.. Wilson was
them, and that no one
would sit down to dinner until they
arrived. This brought all of them
to time, including the chief revolt
er, and at that dinner peace was de-
claTed and
THE REVOLT ENDED,
The man who was at the head of
that insurrectiOn ran for an Office on
the Republican State ticket last Oc-
tOber. During the campaign and
since he complained in private that
Hayes letter Of acceptance should
have been the keynote, instead of
war memories, as struck by Nor
ton, Yet neither he nor Ben. Har-
risOn, who is Just as much an enemy
of Morton as any Republican in In
diana, dared act on their cOnYic~
tiOns. ! happen to know that now
they recognize that, if in that cam
paign they had appealed to the pop
uIar aspiration ior letter things in
stead Of holding forts, waving flags
and otherwise following the instruc-
tiOas Of the great apostle of hatred,
they would have gained Individual
ly a prominence which would be Of
great benefit to them now under the
new order of affairs.
Still the men who give his party
all the respectability which it has in
his State, are now more hopeful than
ever of sending Morton to the rear.
While the selection of Dick ThOmp-
son for a place in the Cabinet
was considered by them as 2 COM
promise between themselves and
Morton, yet his presence in the Cab
met, together with the disastrous
campaign which they wholly attrib-
ute to Morton, causes sanguine
feeling. The Republican papers in
Indiana, and many Republicans, in
fact, more than ever before talked
revolt. are now clamOrOuS in their
desire to take the leadership Of their
party from him who has heretofore
had such complete and absolute con-
troll. Yet it is not safe to bet largely
on such result. He always comes
to the front with more force and
grace, if such a word can be applied
to him, after a repulse. 1t was so in
the contest oyer the ELECTORAL bill,
He was the strongest man of the
eight on the Commission, and he
has secured more from Hayes than
any other man. In his strength with
the President he is
MORE LIKELY TO KEEP AT THE
FRONT
in his own State than from any other
cause. Even with Thompson, who
is in sympathy with the decent men
of his party in Indiana, in the Cab
met, Morton has SO far controlled
the Federal influence Of his State.
Judge Gresham, of the L. :. Court,
came on hers the 4th Of March, rep
resenting the revolving Republicans
of Indiana, especially of lndianap-
oils. and asked for new deal in the
Federal appointments about his
court. He was unsuccessful. A
few weeks ago | was satirically ask
ed in Indianapolis by two promi-
nent Republicans il Hayes rbally
went down on his knees to I'yner