Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-02-21
HENDRICKS AND MCDONALD.
Relations Ofthe Two as Presidential
AspIrants.

Governor Hendricks, in his recent re-
ioinder to William il. English, made use
of an expression that perhaps uncon-
sciously gave the key to his entire politi-
cal career, and anew illustrated that
characteristic which has most laid him
open to the ridicule of his political op
pOnents-that of being on both sides of
the question for the sake of policy.
Being asked whether he took sides in
| the Democratic Executive Committee in
1880 against the introduction of South
| ern speakers into the Indiana campaign,
| he said that if there was any discussion
or difference of opinion on that subject,
he knew which side he would have
| been on, as he held it to be very bad
policy, with a view to securing votes, to
invite the Southern Senators and ex- Con-
| federates into this State" Personally,
of course, Mr.. Hendricks was not out
of sympathy with the Southerners, but
in the conduct of the campaign it was
always ''policy with a view to securing
votes" that was the dominant idea And
now that he is driven, by the statements
of English, Mcdonald and other rivals,
to a defense of his methods of political
leadership. the ex Governor, when he
warns up in private conversation, takes
lots of satisfaction from the contrast of
his methods with those of other would
| he leaders. His comment upon the
leaders Of the last campaign has good
deal of contempt and sarcasm in it, as
he says:
"YOu have your methods, gentlemen,
and you see what came of them; | have
my plans of political warfare, and I'M
der my leadership the Democrats were
uniformly and increasingly successful"
Thus in effect, while protesting to
have NO more political aspirations, he is
all the time throwing out the charge to
his Democratic defamers to find another
man, if they can, who can carry Indi-
ana as he has DONE His closest conf
dants and friends go fart Ter, and say
that no one, if they can prevent it, shall
| be permitted to elbow him out of the
position he has so long occupied. AS to
Mcdonald ever becoming in any sense a
leader, they positively laugh at the idea.
refusing to credit him with any of the
elements that awaken popular conf
deuce or enthusiasm. One of these
warm friends of Mr.. Hendricks-a fami
| ~ connection, indeed-in conversation
with your correspondent the other day,
evidently impressed with the idea that
| Hendricks has future as we'll as a past,
took occasion to contrast him as lead
er with the late Senator Morton. Said
he:
Every one regarded Morton when
alive, and speak Of him, now that he is
dead, as a great and successful political
leader and organizer. judging by results.
' Hendricks was greatly his superior. for
under his lead the Democrats made con
slant gains, while for the last seven or
| eight years of Morton's life the Republi
cans lost ground in every election. And
it is a singular proof of his ability that as
soon as Hendricks was depOsed from the
leadership the Democrats were dlsas-
trously defeated, and that there is no
one who has shown any competency to
take his place. Why, the very charac-
teristic that has given rise to
the constant sheer that Hendricks
was on both sides of the fence on
every question was the secret of his
strength. He knew that on the subject
of finance neither VOORHEES, nor Melon
aid could be followed to the extreme of
soft or hard money ideas. 1t was very
certain Mcdonald had not the sympathy
Of the great mass of the Democracy from
1875 to 1879, and yet thtre were enough
hard money Democrats to prevent the
entire Endorsement of Voorhees, loose
financial notions. Hendricks represented
the medium idea, and was able to bar
monte both factions, so as 10 carry the
State as no other leader could have done
! during that period. He has always, as
leader, been ingenious enough to know
how to catch sufficient votes to win, and
that is what extreme men are not able to
| do"
From all of which the conclusion may
DO reached that if no other way can be
| found to defeat the selection Of Nc
| Donald as the Indiana candidate for
| President in 1884, the friends of Hend-
ricks may, without much difficulty, pre-
vail upon him to accept the party nomi-
nation for Governor, on the ground that
no one else could certainly carry the
State, but that with Hendricks on the
State ticket, and the State election in
| November there would be no difficulty
in returning the Indiana vote for the
| Democratic Presidential ticket. There
would be some objection against such a
movement on the part of Gray and Bell,
who are aspiring to come to the front as
leaders of the "young Democracy" but
both of these gentlemen could be con-
ciliated and it is believed that Voorhees,
would infinitely prefer to play second
| fiddle to Hendricks than stump the State
for Mcdonald.