New-York tribune., 1882-08-14
FPEE RTU AND REAL ESTATE.


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FREE RUM And REAL ESTATE
The Hon. william II. English has never been
what You might call genial statesman. Ihcre
has always been pronounced flavor OF vinegar
about him. When he was in Congress twenty
five OF thirty years ago, defending slavery ana
claiming for it Divine sanction, bis numerous
speeches were distinguished chiefly by their
extreme partisanship, their narrowncss, ana
their acidulous flavor When he retired from
Congress and devoted himself to the accumu-
lation of real estate by sherills sales ana mort
cages, he took his sOurness with him, ana II III
all his life he has said genial word or per-
formed q genuine kind deed he has been so
ouiet about it that nobody has discovered IL.
We all remember what followed his nomlna-
ton bv the Democracy for the Nice-Presdency.
In 4 thOughtless moment he was allowed to
have his photograph taken and sent broadcast
over the land. Who has ever forgotten the
UNPLEASANT sensations he experienced when
first his ewes rested upon that saturnine cOun-
tenance 1t was easy to believe any cam
paign story about man with face Ike That.
We have always sympathized with the Dem
ocratic National Committee, who turned toward
the wall the face of the portrait of Mr.. English
which hung in their headquarters when the
campaign neared its close and they had come
to know him well. 1t was about the only act
of the committee which met the hearty APP
prOyal Of the whole party.
Since the close of that campaign Mr.. English
has been absorbed by the duties OF private
station. The intimations made freely 10y DEM
ocrats that he had not contributed to the cam
paign funds with that careless liberality which
was expected of him when he was nominated
have aroused hlm two .OI three times sufii-
ciently to make him threaten TO expose the way
in which he was besieged by the dead beats
of the party, but he has never made good his
threats For the past year he has been very
quiet, and it was supposed that he was yielding
to the mellowing Influences Of old age, I'LL he
appeared at the Indiana Democratic Convention
last week, and startled it with three-column
spcech. which for sourness and unwisdom sur
passed all his preyieus efforts. The Republi
cans are so convinced OF the political power
of this effort that they have asked his per-
mission to circulate 10000 copies OF 1t among
the voters of Indiana. Mr.. English has con-
sented to this, with the characteristic condition
that they defray the costs of publication. This
is the same thrifty instinct which prompted
him to mark al his private dispatches to the
Democratic National Committee in 1850
collect" AS the speech now assumes fresh
significance We will mention few of It's more
striking points.
Mr.. English made il as the officer designated
by the State Committee TO cali the convention to
order. He began by establishing his right to
Law down rue Democratic doctrine saying that
he had been Democrat even before he was a
voter. and that his father and grandfather
had been Democrats before him. He said he
had received his full share OF political honOrs,
for which he was profoundly grateful, and
could tIuthfully say he was entirely satisfied
with what he had received. This is
well. The party is also satisfied that he has
had enough. He then proceeded to demon
strate to his own satisfaction that the right OF
every man to eat and drink what he pleased
was part of the inalenable liberty spoken. of
in the Declaration of Independence; oi;ed
Scripture to show that Christ and Paul were
against prohibition, even las he used to cite
Scripture in Congress 20 show that slavery was
a Divine Institutions and declared that pro-
hlbitory amendment would encourage rather
than diminish intemperance and ut the same
time destroy great property interests and throw
an immense number OF men out of employment.
lie then made what seems TO us as the great
point of his speech, for be it remembered that
he is him mself the largest real estate holder in
indianapolis:
The defeat Of the prOhbtory amendment would be Of
great benefit to state securing larger portion Of
foreign emigration For many years the bulk Of it has
gone further West. but recent prOhibtory legislation
there will tend 10 check this and II defeat p~Ohibi-
ton here we shall such influx OF emigration
will make demand for real eSiaie and give
long run Of unc1amped prosperity IL looks like
was India1as opportunity 10 make ten strike in
more ways than one if We are wise enough to improve
it,
There is a moral grandeur about that utter
ance which stamps it as unmlstakably English
in its character. 1t is the same kind OF states
manshp which he exhibited III Congress.
After working in this stroke in favor of private
real estate BOOM which should make the bus
ness of iOreclosng mortgages more profitable
than ever the speaker made this eloquent and
touching reference to his personal habits and
tastes: 81 would be the last man to en-
courage intemperance. never WAS drunk
in my life. | don't like strong drink.
don't think it agrees with me, but | am the
best Judge of that-it is my affair only. Oc-
@casionally take a glass Of beer, and confess
there are times when rather like it. But
sknow when have got enough. and whether