The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-27
INDIVIDUAL AND PRESS COMMENT.
Expressions of Opinion by Some of the Lead
ing Men of the Country.

Washington Special
Il have known Mr.. Hendricks intimately for
thirty years. I never knew anything of him
that it would not be becoming to say of dead
man. He was a man of very great ability, of
high character, and a man of great influence.
He was a man whom the people always trusted
They always knew that he was in sympathy
with them, and they were always for him. The
common newspaper accusation against him was
that he was trimmer. 1t is not true. He was
very prudent man, very careful man; but he
had profound convictions, and he had the cour-
age of his convictions. He was a man Of I'M
bounded moral and physical courage. He sought
no controversy, but when pressed-when circum
stances compelled him to-he was one of the best
fighters l ever saw. He was eminent as law
yer, and political speaker he swayed men as
few others have ever been able to do. He was a
great strength to his party in his State, and in
the country. We have other able men and good
leaders. Governor Gray is one of the best po-
lltlcal managers; Judge Niblack is very able
man, and so is Judge Lowry and Judge Turpie
is an ADLER man than any other citizen of Indi-
ana not in public life Senator Mcdonald is so
we'll known that do not need to speak particu-
larly of him, but if you seek the country through
for the two most influential leaders, aud most
complete representatives of the Democratic
party in the United States you will find their
names on the old ticket of 1876 Mr. Tiden is
very, very feeble, and Mr. Hendricks is dead. /
never dreamed OF such piece of news as this.
For several months past Mr.. Hendricks has been
in exceptionally good health He has been
more active and vivacious than | have been in
the habit of seeing him. In fact. he has seemed
to me of late alttle excitabe. His death makes
/ great vacany in public ife
"His was indeed large life. There were no
Two men In Indiana, suppose, who thought
alike on politics more closely than Mr. Hendricks
andI know that he was always hish-minded his
purpose pure, his means honorable and his CON
victions deep He was always thorough going
Democrat lie never had any sympathy with
those people who have no politics in particular
and fully agree with him there AS Governor
and senator as member of the constitutional
convention, as Commissioner of the General
Land Office, and as Vicepresident he made
record that was absolutely spotless at every
point. Politically the only immediate effect of
his death Is that it reduces the chances
the Democrats have of getting control of the
Senate during the present administration for
had he lived, and we been able to make tie in
the Senate, his casting vote would have given US
a majority. know perfectly we'll that his rea-
tons with the President were always of the
pleasantest character and while there appeared
to be in some details some difference of iudg-
ment between them know that substantially
they We're in full accord. Politically, the Vice
president is nothing but an heir There is moth
ing to the Office but the possibility of succession
He represents no organization or sentiment and
he speaks for nobody. Mr.. Hendricks was lead
ing no party within party, and therefore his
death changes the political situation only in it's
effect on the organization of the Senate in a pos
sible contingency, and it puts an end to oppor-
tunities that the future might have offered him"
JUDGE GRESHAM
Chicago Tribune
Il reeollect' said Judge Gresham, ''that Mr.
Hendricks suffered an attack of paralysis at the
Eot Springs, Ark. about the year 1879. For a
good while after there was halt in his gait and
l have seen him in signing his name raise his
right hand with his left am under the i'm
preston that he never fully recovered the free
use of his right side Another observation |
made though perhaps it should hardly be pub
licly stated. was that, as it seemed to me- his
mind never had the same vigor after that stroke
as before. / have frequently met him in pro-
fessional way, and IL appeared to me that there
was little dulness in his intellect compared with
his former acuteness. About two years after the
paralytic stroke his foot was attacked by
disease which was pronounced by Drs. TheophS
lus Parvin and David Yandell to be senile gan
creme. IN their judgment incurable malady.
They told me not very long ago that they had
not changed their opinion. Mr.. Hendricks was