New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-03-20

faxes "A light as he pleases. But no family
can avoid the burdens imposed by dntes on
sugar or salt, spices or imported drugs, or
many other articles upon which duties might
be reduced without dctriment to industries.
Nor can tho Republican party afford to take
up the Democratic policy of favOring the
liquor and tobacco interests beyond all DINERS.
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THE GREATEST STR1DDLE or HIS LIFE.
BY some inexplicable oversight the most re-
markable speech Mt the Jackson banquet III
Chicago was not included In the telcgraphed
reports. Whether jealousy or lack of appre-
citation was the cause of the omission we are
unable to decide. The speech was the first one
of the evening, was on the comprehensive and
Oul-stirring subject, "Our Country" and was
delivered by the Hon. Thomas A. Hendricks of
Indiana. The enemies of Mr.. Hendricks are
fond of saying that he has never been
known in the course of his long public ca
reer to come out squarely on any less than
two sides of n great public question. They
even go so far as to say that his services III
Congress arc chiefly memorable for the fact
that his presence on q committee of five en-
abled that committee to accomplish the I'M
precedented feat of being equally divided.
In defence Of these accusations his friends
say that if they are true they only demon
strate the judicial character of his mind; and
that in one notable instance they are not true,
for it is on record that Mr.. Hendricks once
startled an agricultural fair by coming out
boldly against hog cholera. In this dispute
we do not propose to interfere. II we
speak of Mr.. Hendricks's remarks at Chicago
as an able straddle, we do so in no invidi-
GUS sense. We merely wish to express our adj
miraton for the mastery manner i'll which he
avoided collision with any of the many ques-
tons which are agitating and dividing the
Democratic ranks.
In the first place, his treatment of his sub
iect showed unsupported originality. 1t was
undoubtedly expected that in speaking of "0ur
Country" at Democratic banquet on jack
sons birthday some slight allusiOn would be
made to Democratic men and measures, and
that the usual modest statement would be made
that but for the constant and watchful care of
the Democratic party we shOnld probably be
without any country at all to-day. But Mr..
Hendricks rose superior to wOrn-out ideas like
those. He spoke boldly of the railroads, tel
egraphs and telephones" as undoubted ele-
ments of our countrys greatness, and then
startled the banqueters with the announce
ment that with their "permissiOn and ar-
proval" he would take journey upon one of
the great lines of railroads from Boston to
San Francisco. AT this point several of the
JacksOnites arose to bid him God-speed, but
sank suddenly back in their seats in confusion
when they discovered that the journey was to
be a flight of the Imagination only. Mr..
Hendricks started at once, taking his au-
dience with him. He pointed out to them
all the cities along the route, explained the
peculiar industries of each locality, the chaTac-
ter of the SOIL and the characteristics of the
people-gave them, in fact, an unabridged
geography of the larger part of the United
states, and went through the whole presenta
ton without coming within hailing distance of
single political topic. He went by way of
New York. Chicago, Omaha and Ogden, and
came back by the Southern route, passing
through Arizona NewMexicO and the giant
State of Texas" until he halted for
refreshments at NewOrleans. What he was
down there for nobody could guess, till he
brought in the neat and graceful allusion that
cit was here the illustrious patriot and states
man, the anniversary of whose natal day we
celebrate, achieved great renOwn as a warrior"
At this the banqueters, glad to touch bottom
at last, broke into applause. Precisely why the
orator should 90 to New-Orleans by way of
Los Angeles and Santa Barbara is not appar
ent, but it was probably owing to tho judicial
character of his mind.
From Jackson as Il warrior he passed easily to
the Mississippi River, and delivered himself of a
passage which we transcribe III full as being
by all odds the gem of this remarkable speech:
we stand beside the Father Of Waters. He RACES and
his anger is frightu His punishment of the people
the border is cruel and remorseess He has broken
away from the restraints that held him in his channel
lie has driven the people from their farms and seized
their lands What agencies shall be invoked control
the turbulent waters When It my duty to
speak ard vote this question, had difficulty IL salts
fying yself authority Of Congress vote money
to maintain the leyees 1t seemed IL not much ia
aid to defend aud protect agriculture
But came to the conclusion that Jefferson had found
authority the Constitution for the purchase of that
country might feel authority to vote for its preserya
tion The great interests Of the country required it,
There Is 10 straddling about that. Possibly |
the fact that at that very moment the Mis-
sisspp for 600 miles Of its course had an
average width of 40 miles restrained him
from attempting to straddle it; but whatever
the cause, let us give him credit for coming
out boldly against tho " turbulent waters
lie calls them "cruel and remOrseess,o and |
is eager TO have them restrained at the public
expense. That gets in a severe blow at the
river and records a frst-class bid for the
Southern vote at the same time. That Is the
boIdest effort of his life since the hog
cholera censme. On leaving New-Orleans he
passed directly to Washington, and after a
few guarded observations on the dangers of
Capitalization, he thanked the club for the
cordial recantion extended tn him on " this |
brilliant and interesting OCCASION" and sat