The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-02
LOGAN AND MCDONALD.
The Strong Points in Both Men for the Cam
didacy in 1884.

didacy in 1884.
Gath's Talk with Southern De mocrah
"Now, about Logan said l.
Logan will get the soldier vote as much
as Grant would Though he is considered to
be of the rougher stock of the Republican
party, he is really one OF the longest-lived
public men of America Roscoe Conkling is
baby in politics compared to John Logan;
Jim Blaine might be Logan's son in point of
national public service. A man who has
come up to the United States Senate time and
again, with a great State like Illinois behind
him, who was in the House of Representa-
tives twenty-four years ago, certainly has
staying powers. Think of Logan having
been private soldier in the Mexican war
That was as long ago as 1916. Logan's age is
not given in any of the books, but l should
judge that he was fifty-seven. He was elected
to a civil office thirty-four years ago, and
came to the bar a third of a century past. He
had the force of character after the Mexican
war was over to return to school and grad
uate at a college The year Frank Pierce was
elected he went to the Illinois Legislature.
He was good enough lawyer to become the
district attorney thirty years ago. Stephen
A. Douglas regarded him as one of his most
powerful lieutenants. His record in Con-
gresS before the war was q positive one at
least. Everybody knew his name He has
some of the characteristics of Stephen A.
Douglas, who was his political mentor.
1uOuSn ne udu Deel u leTN6Hb supporter
of the rights of Southern white men under
the constitution, when they broke up the
Union he went to the field at once and rose
to the command of an army. He and Frank
Blair were the two great volunteer soldiers of
the Western army. After the war he served
in two Congresses and made three races for
the United States Senate, being successful in
two. John Logan has many of the qualities
of Andrew Jackson. He keeps his friends
warmly to him, learns from his enemies has
pride OF character courage that men of
every section recognize and respect, courage
in all its parts-moral, mental and physical
and a man cannot be called a small politician
who can take a great empire like Illinois,
make it amenable to his will, and receive its
confidence. He is not q trimmer in any,
thing. When Grant began to amend and
correct his views about Copperheads, Logan
stood up for his constituency-the Northern
soldiers-as against the freaks of old army
officers to wheedle themselves back into
place. If Logan were ever President of the
United States his personality would be felt
from one end of the country to the other
He is the last man left in the Republican
party of the indomitable, positive, natural
type. The percentage that would fall off
from him in the Republican lines would be
so small that it would do the Democrats no
good"
Mcdonald, 1 think, is going to get the
Democratic nomination. 1t is true that
| fifteen months elapse before the convention
meets, and if he gets very formidable in that
time coalitions may break him down. But
have observed that Mcdonald is much dis
cussed, because he is so strong. That CRAWL
tation to ward him has not been treated as if
1t was a fact, but rather passed over as if the
man might be beaten by having him for
gotten. The newspapers in New York be-
have about Mcdonald as the Dutch settlers
on Manhattan Island did when the English
loot IN
relates that the old Dutch Knicker-
bockers sat on their fort and smoked
their pipes so mournfully and strongly that
the smoke concealed the fort, and the Eng
lish fleet passed by without being aware of
it. That seems to be the way they are ignor-
ing Mcdonald. Yet he is very strong. From
my communications in New York, l think
he is going to get the vote of this State
There is nothing here to support. No East
ern man is audacious enough to expect the
presidency unless it be Hancock and Ben
Butler. Buffers nomination would make
the same kind of revolution that Greeley's
did The Southern States would vote for a
respectable Republican as opposed to him.
Hancock was given as much as the Demo-
cratic party ever gives any candidate, unless
he has been once triumphant--a full
nomination.; and with the prospects greatly
in his favor he does not win l
think that New York and Indiana will make
the Democratic nominee. l have learned
much more about McDonald's strength in
that city than 1 had supposed A still-hunt
is being made for him all over the country
Randall is his only competitor, and the
prominence of the trade issue will probably
prevent his election as Speaker, and that will
lay him up as presidential quantity If he
should be elected Speaker the battle against
him would now open the harder as presiden-
tial candidate. Indiana will probably offer
New York the yice-presidency, and there are
plenty OF men fit for it, like Hewitt, himself
a manufacturer. who would be willing to run
on the low tariff platform, or Dorsheimer
who was once Republican.
In Other Places than Delaware