Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1880-05-25
Spirit Of gcfterson.
TUESDAY MORNING. MAY 25, 1880.
THOMAS A. HENDRICKS.


great party leaders who has been the con-
trolling spirit of his party in grea. State
for a quarter of century, with the cordial
support of his organization, and that is one
of the rearest individual achievements in
modern politics Even Blaine, the most
popular aud personally magnetic of Repub-
lican leaders, has lost his State, with Res
publican majority. that. 10 proportion to the
vote polled, would scare mp $4,000 in the
vote of Indiana. Tilden aud Coukling have
divided parties behind them which practical
ly exclude them from hopeful Presidential
contest; Sherman aud Thurman have little
heart and loss unity in their respective fol-
lo~ings in Ohio, and Cameron must often
evade the popular judgment of his party to
maintain his control in Pennsylvania. OF
all the men who have reached the front rank
OF leadership during the last two decades,
Mr.. hendricks is almost single aud alone in
crystal!iziug his party at home in uuflag>
ging devotion to him. He was Democratic
Senator in the most trying times of the war.
when many less faithful or less discreet men
made hopeless shipwreck of their political
futures, but the record of Mr. Hendricks has
stood the severest test. aud is conspicuous
for its freedom from the partisan blunders
which then and since have ranked as crimes
The sweep of Rcpublicanism over the
North as necessity to sustain the Lincoln
Administration, carried Indiana with it and
anchored it in the Republican column, under
Oliver P, Morten, the ablest politician and
statesman of the opposition. Mr. Hendricks
fell himself in one of Morton's great battles.
but he then, as ever before and after. proved
himself stronger than his party; and he was
tho FIRST of the overthrown Democratic chief
ta!Ds to recover his State. In the disastrous
couhict of 1872 he took the standard of his
party and achieved a trium ph that was pccu-
lisriy his own individual victory, electipg
himself governor by his popularity that de-
fed party discipline. Again, in 1876, when
he was among the most prominent candidates
for the presidency, and his delegation uncon-
di'!onally declined all protfers of the second
pace on the ticket, he was nominated Vices
President by rising vote in the convention
thst left only three Indiana delegates 10 their
seats. lie was impressed into the party SER
vice because his was the only name that could
carry Indiana, and give the State to the Do
mocrscy in a hand. to>hand battle with Nor
ton.
Mr.. Hendricks is one of the few men
whose names will go before tho convention
with the assurance that they can command
tho electoral vote of one Of the doubtful and
ind spcnsabo Stntes in the next contest and
he has fewer enmities than any of his fellow
presidential a=pirants. Able and discreet in
his public acts and generous aud faithful in
all his personal intercourse with men. he has
made antsgonisms seek their own Excuses
His skitlful direction of his party when the
Grcenback tidal-wave csme upon his people,
exhibited a consummate mastery over the
passions which have their GIBBS and flows in
our free political system. He stood firmly
anchored on the Jackson doctrine of sreoie
basis, but heightened his lines to give place
to the tossed Democratic field until the storm
had exhausted its violence, and Democratic
supremacy was thus maintained in Indiana
He is certainly one of the live candidates Of
our White House gallery. and the carefully
written chapter of his life is an instructive
lesson to the able and hopeful Young men of
the nation NHndeIphin Times.