The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-19
AFFAIRS AT THE CAPITAL.
The Sherman Boom in the Hands of
Discreet Managers.
The Present and Previous Contests for the
Speakership-A Military Mans He
gal Love-Capital Notes.
THE RANDALL.KERE CONTEST.

Recalling Incidents of Former Struggle
for the Speakership.
Gath's New York Letter.
Mr. Randall was formerly more reckless
of speech than in these days, and he was
always harsh on what he called the Cameron
Democrats about Harrisburg. Therefore,
when be came up for Speaker there was dis
sffection to him in the State delegation. and
the opposition put up Michael c. Kerr,
man almost exactly corresponding in sitna-
ton to Mr.. Carlisle. Kerr lived at New
Albany, right opposite the city of Louisville,
as Carlisle at CoYington, right opposite the
city of Cincinnati. Kerr had been school
teacher in his early days in Kentucky. He
was of the same general Scotch, or Scotch
Irish, stock as Carlisle. His associations
were among the Kentucky-b Democrats OF
Southern Indiana He was somewhat more
fortunate than Carlisle in living on the north
bank of the river so that he could be con-
sidered q Northern representative, At that
time it was premature to run a Southern man
for Speaker.
Mr. Kerr first made an impression in the
city of New York, where the hard-money
element took him up, headed by Belmont
Barlow and others Not improbably he was
provided with the means to make his cam
paign by some of these gentlemen. Kerr
was a tall man, something of natural ora
tor, a grimner sort of Henry Clay. He
was fierce in denunciation, correct in his
morals, and pretty high type of man.
though plain in living and income. Among
his strong supporters was William M. Nor
rison, of Illinois. l helped in small way
Mr.. Kerrs campaign at that time, having
friends who were anxious to see him sue
ceed and remember two little incidents OF
the campaign.
! went into Mr.. Kerr's room the night, l
think, that he had received the nomination
or the night before, and he introduced me to
John G. Thompson, who had come on to
Washington to be compensated for victory
in Indiana in that tidal wave year. Thomp-
son was modest and rather reticent and nom
committal even to Mr., Kerr He said that
he had made no alliances, and presented
himself merely as the representative of Ohio
Kerr said to me that evening-and / am not
sure but it was some little time before the
real battle came off-that he had made up
his mind that it was not his policy to
speak publicly on the questions of the hour
and asked me, who had often interviewed
him, not to break the rule. He
took hold of his contest with a
firm hand, but he was in a very weak
physical condition. He had been in Con-
gress and had many investigations and re-
ports, and was of the aggressive order of
men. He held himself high, like a public
man who had formed his ideas of office from
reading books and not from low contacts
Mr.. Morrison said to me one evening quiet
ly; II think we shall elect Kerr; but, my
God, what shamep'
Said 1: "Why?'
"Why," said he, 1.-The hand of death is on
that man. He will never live out his term
of office"
Tha oopAiot IN Pardo1I,s s;do ,,,o. = eo,,,o
what embttered one, and he took his defeat
hard. He was supported by all the young
run of fellows who had known him in his
conviyial days. Mr.. Kerr died in the course
of time. and Randall succeeded to his place;
and, instead of conciliating the men who had
opposed him, he adopted the Cameron poll
cy of Furnishing them. =
GOOD AND EVIL OF THE TARIFF
I remember Joseph Medill, of Chicago,
once saying to me, when 1 was writing to
Mr.. Whites Tribune there, that Horace
White was destroying his property by advo-
eating free trade. After Mr.. Medill re-
purchased the property I was surprised to
find that he also was free-trader; but 1 sup
pose all men can consistently change their
views, according to experience. My own
views have been somewhat modified by the
unexampled growth of the manufacturing
system, which is on longer confined to two
or three States, but is spreading over the
whole country and diversifying our in
dustries, and has unquestionably in the
long run cheapened prices
When l see silk, which never was manu-
featured at all in this country, at the close
of the war produced in such profuSion that
you can buy a silk handkerchief to-day for
what linen or cotton handkerchief for
merly cost: when l see the carpet manufac-
turers of this country producing velvet car
pets for less money per yard than thin in
grains used to cost; when see the fences no
longer consuming our forests, but made OF
barbed wire, l am forced to believe in both
the good and the evil of the tariff system
that, while it is too jerky and irregular, it
has become almost as extraordinary me-
dunn of our development as the coal-feds
under the ground, which Providence hid
away as an element of wealth and heat No
doubt the tariff ought to be honestly re-
viewed and the systematic beggars who come
around Washington pulling and hauling at
it Tor their own advantage ought to be re-
buked.
l suspect that Randall himself, at the time
he ran against Kerr, was bitten with the free
trade idea as much as Kerr was. But he had
a district which drew upon him for help to
the manufacturers and being a reciprocal
man in his nature he has gradually been
drawn more and more into the manufacture
ing grasp. This is made the basis of attacks
upon him that he is in favor of the monop-
olies and the tariff. Congressman are gen
orally in favor of what exists in their dis
trict and keeps it alive. When slavery was
big interest every congressman from a
slave district gave his entire brain and tenn
per to it. 1t therefore comes with a bad
grace from those those men to accuse a
Northern representative of merely standing
by the free mechanical labor in his particu-
lar district.
THE SHERMAN BOOM.
sundry Facts Which Indicate That 1t Is