Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1880-05-22
THOMAS A. HENDRICKS.
from the Philadelphia Times.l

rom the IEiaueiphih AiAes.J
Thomas A. Hendricks is one of the
few great party leaders who has been
the controlling spirit of his party in
a great state for quarter OF CEN
tury, with the cordial support of his
organization, and that is enc OF tho
rarest individual achievements in
modern politics. Even Blaine, tho
most popular aud personally magne-
tic of republican leaders, has lost his
state, with a republican majority,
that, i'll proportion to the vote pollsd.
would scare up $4,000 in the vote Of
Indiana. Tilden aud Conkling have
divided parties behind them which
practically exclude them from hope
full presidential contest =; Sherman aud
Thurman have little heart and less
unity in their respective followings
in Ohio, and Cameron must often
evade the popular Judgment of his
party to maintain his csntrOl in
Pennsylvania. OF all the men who
have reached the front rank of lead
ership during the last two decades.
| Mr.. Hendricks is almost single and
alone i'll crystallizing his party at
home In unfagging devotion to him.
He was Y democratic senator IN tho
msst trying timss OF the war, when
many less faithful or less discreet
men made hopeless shipwreck OF their
political future, bat the record OF
MIR. Hendricks has stood the severest
test, and is conspicuous for its free
dom from the partisan blunder which
then and since have ranked as crimes.
The sweep of republicanlsm over
the north as necessity to sustain the
Lincoln Administrations, carried lndl-
| 49,, I, aud anchnr0H IL IN the
/ publican column, under Oliver +.
t Morton, the ablest politician anu
| statesman of the opposition. Mr..
f Hendricks fell himself i'll one Of Nor
/ toms great battles, but he then, -
t ever before and after, proved himself
stronger than his party and he was
Q the first of the overthrown deme-
4 cratic chieftains to recover his state.
t In the disastrous conflict Of 1872 he
f took the standard of his party aud
Y achieved triumph that was pecua-
k arly his own individual victory, elect
e ing himself governor by his popular
t ity that detieu party discipline.
L Again, i'll 1876, when he was among
v the most prominent candidates TOR
n the presidency, land his delegation un-
l. conditionally declined all proffers OF
It the secoud place OH the ticket, he was
S nominated vice-president by rising
d vote in the convention that left only
n three Indiana delegates in their seats.
a lie was impressed into the party
service because his was the only
)fl name that could carry Indiana, aud
4 give the state to the democracy in q
IS hand-to-hand battle with Morton. s4s
ID Mr.. Hendricks is one Of the few
Il, men whose names will go before the
a convention with the assura rance that
r, they can command the electoral, vote
~ of one of the doubtful aud indispen
Il sable states in the next contest, anG
at he has fewer enmities than any OF hi
w fellow presidential aspiraDts. A bI'
al and discreet i'll his public acts ans
ry generous and faithful in all his per
.ct sonal intercourse with men, he ha
n, made antagonisms seek their owl
X excuses. His skillful direction of hi
IS. party when the greenback tidal-wav
cd came upon his people, exhibited
gh consuminate mastery over the paa
uft sions which have their ebb and lf1Oi
his in our free political system. He stno
oil firmly anchored on the Jackson doc
he trine of specie basis, but lengthene
rs. his lines TO give place to the tosse
democratic field until the st0rm)ha
exhausted its violence, aud democrat
,ss ic supremacy was thus main ntained ]
,u IndiaDa. He is certainly one of til
~ live candidates Of our White Houi
gallery, and the carefully write
of chapter of his life is an instructiv
rn- lesson to the able aud hopeful youn
INC men of the nation. rlg eari .