The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-03-06
THOMAS A. HENDRICKS.


Letter to Personal Friend Outlining His
Views of National Politics.
New York Special to Louisville Courier-Journol
Governor Hendricks, who is now abroad, but
soon expected home, has written letter to a
personal friend in the city, which contains a
brief outline of his views on the political out
look, personally. 1t seems from this that he has
abandoned an idea of having his own name con
sidered by the convention. His health, while
better, since his trip to Europe, is by no means
fully restored.
Your correspondent asked whether the Gov
ernor took hopeful view of the Democratic out
look
Exceedingly so, but with his usual provisos
He speaks of the difficulties labored under by
one abroad when trying to keep abreast of the
ever-shifting phases of politics at home, but
from what he can hear it seems to him
that tho Democratic Congress should deport
itself with such caution in tariff matters
as not to alarm conservative people into
the belief that the whole structure is threat
ened and at the same time, with energy enough
to indicate that the party is not afraid to prune
existing evils just because the PennsylVanians
cry ''wolf" While on this topic he refers to
the immense difference between the general
knowledge on this subject at the present dt%,and
in 1880, when it was suddenly sprung, and is con-
fident that the vast amount of discussion since
then all over the country has been of immense
benefit to the Democracy.
'"Tho Governor continued my authority,
''has always been stoutly opposed to a revenue
for protection far above all pressing demands of
the public service, and does not hesitate TO give
it his idea that the proper of the party
is to reatfirm its Oldtime principles and enter the
next campaign with bold onset on monop0lies,
which have deied Congress and the people, and
+ with dignifed, conservative, but compact at
tack on the iniquities of extreme protection and
the consequent unnecessary and unpopular sur
plus"
''How does the Governor stand on civil-service
reformF ..
Don't know from this letter. He doesn't
meIition it. but unless he has changed his mind
he thinks that reform OF any kind is simply i'm
possible with tho present executive instrument
alities"
Does he touch on any other subjectl
yes and to my mind sounds the key note OF
the entire coming campaign. He hopes the
party, in making its candidate and platform, will
bear in mind that for twenty years party shaekles
in the country have not been so loosely borne as
now; that the floating and independent vote is
three times larger and three times more indie
pendent than before. This would naturally be
the case when the main issue of the coming can
vass is not strictly PARTISAN but doubly
true when there seems to be actually
no side issues that can strictly hold the old
party lines. SectiOnalism is practically placed
on the shelf, and the South can no moro be held
down with bayonets, or be honeycombed with
the machinery of corruption. This being the
case, the party that wins will be the which
frames that platform on the great economic
measures before the country on which the great
mass OF Independent voters stand The party
that secures this element will obtain the White
House in spite of all the oldHghts, and transpar-
encies, and bonfres and stump oratory of the
campaign, and he doubts whether this fact has
sufficiently impressed itself the party leaders;
but is convinced of the much greater power OF
the Independent vote at present than for many
years past, and believes it will increase instead
of growing less during the formative. period of
the convention preliminaries of the canvass"