The Portland daily press., 1884-03-05

u
| NEW YORK, March 4-Governor Hen
bricks, who IS now abroad, but coon expected
home, has written letter to personal II lend
In this city, which contains brief outline of
his views on the political outlook. Personally,
from this it seems he has abandoned all idea
OF having his own Dame considered by the
convention. His health, while better since
bis trip to Europe, is by no means fully re-
stored, and besides ireading the turmoil of
Campaign he takes the practical view that
| with the Indiana Democracy divided between
| two factions, IL would be inadyisable to take
| The candidate from that State. No reference
| was made TO any personal antagonsm OF the
claims of Senator Mcdonald, and no intims-
sion that the Ex-Governor would oppose them
In any way; "but," said the recir:s=t .,:s-.ti,,-
letter. "Enar wouid ~ue altogether uuneces
ssrs, because Mrs. Hendricks would not allow
Mcdonald to be the nominee II Mr.. Hendricks
would She has frequently been heard to say
that the ladies of Indiana would never allow
man Ike Mcdonald to be the candidate.
just what this msansI cannot tell, but Mrs.
Hendricks is the head and front of the Nc
Donald opposition aud the influence Of the
Governor is by no means dead in that State
and might be indirectly exerted."
Your correspondent asked If the Governor
took hopeful view Of the. Democratic out
look. Exceedingly 80, but with his usual
provisos. He speaks of the difficulties labored
under by one abroad when trying to keep
abreast OF the ever-shfting phases of politics
at home, but, from what he can hear IL seems
10 him that the Democratic Congress should
deport itself with such caution in tariff mat
ters as not to alarm the high protsctionisss in.
to the belief that the whols structure is
threatened, and at the same tims with energy
enough to indicate that the party is not afraid
to brave existing evils just because the Penn
sylvanians cry "wolf." While on this topic
he refers to the immenee difference between
the general knowledge on this subject at the
present day and in 1880 when it was suddenly
sprung, and is confident that the vast amount
of discussion since then, all over the country,
has been of immense benefit to the Democra-
cy. "The Governor" continued my author
ity, "has alwa been stoutly opposed to
revenue for protection far above all pressing
demand of the public service, and does not
hesitate to give it as his idea that the proper
course for the party Is to reafirm its old-time
principles and enter the next campaign with
bold onset on monopolies which have defied
Congress and the people, and with dignifed,
conservative, but compact attack on the iniq-
uities Of extreme protection, and the conse-
quent unnecessary and unpopular surplus"
"How does the Governor stand Oh civil SER
vica reform?''
"Don't know from his letter. He doesn't
mention itbut unless he has changed his mind
he thinks that reform Of any kind Is simply
impossible under the present executive instru-
mentalities."
"Does he touch on any other subiect2"
''Yes, and to my mind he sounds the key
nots of the entire coming campaign. He
hopes the party will bear in mind; that for
twenty years party shackles in the country
have not been 30 loosely borne as now that the
foating and independent vote is three times
larger and three times more independent than
before. This would naturally be the case
when the main issue of the coming canvass is
not strictly partisan, but is doubly true when
there seem to be actually no side issues that
can strictly hold the old party lines. Section
alism Is practically placed on the shelf, and
the South can no more be held down with
bayonets or be honeycombed with the ma
chinery of corruption. This being the case,
lhe party that wins will be the one which
frames that platform on the great economic
measures before the country on which the
great mass Of independent voters can stand.
The party that secures this element will OBJ
tain the White House, in spite of all the red
lights and nanspsrencies and bon6res and
r
whether the fact has sufficiently impressed |
itself ON the leaders, bnt Is convinosd OF the
much greater power OF the independent vote at
present than for many years past; land believes |
it will increase, instead of growing less, dur
log the formative period and the convention
prelminaries of the canvass"