The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-03-31
BLAINE, LOGAN AND SHERMAN.
Brief Interviews with Three Prominent Can
didates for Presidential Honors.

uluaCeS Tor PRESIDENTIAL HonOrS.
"Jayhaw ker's' Washington Letter
Mr.. Blaine is Just now receiving the largest
share of notice in Pennsylvania, and called on
him first and most frequently. Anybody
see Blaine, and as he makes it rule to see whole
crowds at once nobody gets chance for conf
Dental talk. ! raided him first last Sunday at
ternoon, when he was alone, and as was armed
with the reports of the Saturday night meeting
at PittSburg. soon forced him into a talk about
the presidential outlook. believe that no man
ever RECEIVERS from attack of the presidential
itch but in Mr.. Blaine's case there can be
no doubt that he feels that after having chased
the nomination into two conventions, hereafter
it shall chase him. He feels that his past
prominence has given him as much space in his
tory as most of Presidents have received, and
can afford to be entirely independent. He
talked of men and measures with perfect free
dom and of his relation to politics. He had
no concealments. He said in answer to II re
mark of mine IF | should be the nominee, no
man in ont of the convention could say that
had solicited his help in any way to give me
that nomination. As / am now situated ! am
absolutely independent, enjoying a freedom
which never knew when in Office or when seek
ing Office, and cannot miss any one from
my list who were my friends when l was in
Office. This to me is more gratifying than any
recollection of political triumph distinction
| called his attention to the conspicuous at
tentiOn he was receiving from the press all over
the country, when he said:
II see much of it, but | think l can better APP
preciate it i'll my own case than can most other
people. The newspapers are printed Tor to-day,
and while we live in to-day it has many phases.
While it is true that the newspapers lead public
opinion in most things, they are often prospect
ing to discover the opinion they should lead.
Intelligence has become so general in the United
States that we have now but few of those pre-
eminently great men like Grant or John Sher-
man, who rise so high above the great average
that they are noticed by every one, There
fore, when the press goes prospect
ing for presidential mine it has
vast territory to work over and necessarily
sinks great many prospect holes before it finds
the real deposit In fifty millions of people
many men can be found who would make good
presidents, ard when the convention is left free
to choose whom it pleases it will not be possible
for it to make a mistake. Under the present
methods of selecting delegates in the Northern
States, one can manipulate them, therefore
there can be no dark horses to be sprung on the
convention. The delegates can consider availa-
biity without having to overcome instructions
from local conventions which have not had full
opportunity of conference with others at dis
lance upon that subject. do not lay much
stress upon outcroppings for any one person
now; yet it will be beneficial in this, that it will
inform delegates about the standing of differ
phase will be carefully considered
by the press, and 1 think fairly given
to the public Various persons will have brief
day between this and the convention, but | can
any man as the nominee. The agitation has to
go on, however. and those of us who are com
mended can only wal until the convention ends
this talk. To say that we are or are not aspir-
ants is all the same to the great public ] am
inclined to the belief that individual good for
tune is often the result of accident / inherited
a tract of land in Pennsylvania which still own.
At the time the title vested in me / would have
thought myself fortunate to have sold it for
81 so an acre. Since coal has been discovered
upon it have been offered 5000 per acre for it.
but as it makes a good living for my family, l
will not part with it,"
General Logan was the next recipient of my
attentions. | found him in modest but pleasant
quarters on Twelfth street. Mrs Logan was
preparing to visit Chicago to attend to some
matters relating to their residence there, the
General feeling that he could not absent himself
while Congress was in session. During our talk
| alluded to the report that there was conSidera-
BILE i'll feeling between Mr.. Blaine and himself
growing out of the recent prominence of Mr.
Blaine.
cit is without foundation, he said mo one
can make quarrel between Mr. Blaine and my
self. Every native American of legal age has
right to aspire to the presidency to be a candi-
date for the nomination, and as have no patent
or copyright to the candidacy and my friends
cannot feel unkindly toward Mr. Blaine. He is
distinguished citizen, and any efforts to belittle
him will amount to nothing. If he should be
the nominee he will have no more willing sup
porter than will be- We are friends, and will
remain So"
81 see it printed that General Grant does not
feel kindly toward you on account of the Fitz
John Porter matter said.
'How silly the idea that so great man as
General Grant should quarrel with any one be
cause of an honest difference of opinion. General
Grant and are friends, and will remain friends
He is too large to quarrel with me, even if was
inclined to quarrel"
In all of my talks heard no one question the
force of General Logan, or doubt suggested of
his election if nominated. The friends of every
other candidate speak kindly of him, and none
more so than the followers of Nj. Blaine. Iu
fact found good words for him on every side.
Hon. John Sherman was in his library when |
called and had the good fortune to spend tn
evening alone with him. One of two things
or he has been more generously lied about than
any public man in America. 1t is true that he
did not slap me on the back and with yell or
oath ask me to drink; nor did he roll back on his
chair and make the house echo with his outlaws
over anything which appeared funny, but he
was full of pleasant talk, mingled with humor
and his quiet laugh was of itself enjoyable be-
cause it was not bosterous. We had good
cigars and, at my request, a bottle of beer. |
introduced the subject of the presidential nom
nation and talked freely about it, Among other
things he said
-Four years ago wanted the nomination be-
had discharged the duties Of my Office of Secre
tary of the Treasury with results which were
more than gratifying to myself, and came to
believe that the results We're satisfactory to the
public generally. Many of my party friends had
not believed resumption possible at the time
fixed for it, and there was strong disposition
everywhere to retreat. as there was desire to