The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-14


ing two speeches day. The two began their
canvass in the southern part of the district
where DR.. Fitch was at home and Mr. Colfax
was stranger DR.. Fitch made the opening
speech, and just before sitting down, hoping
to oyerwhelm his youthful competitor with
ridicule, he advised him, instead of attempt
ing to get seat in Congress to tarry at Jericho
until his beard should be grown. This alusion
to the tarrying of his beardless competitor at
Jericho called out the vociferous yells and deri-
sive laughter of his partisans. Before the laugh
ter had died away Mr.. Colfax was called upon
to come forward and begin his first speech in
his first canvass for Congress. Stepping FOR
ward quickly, and glaneing around to catch the
eyes of all his hearers, he engaged
their attention at once 81 was not
aware, my fellow-citizens," he began,
shat brass and beard were the necessary quail
fcations of Congressman. If, in your iudg-
ment it is So / must renounce all hopes of
your votes, as confess, what you cannot but
see, that my competitor has superabundanca
of both" The manner of its delivery, and his
exhibition of pluck and ability, turned the ride
cule upon Fitch and won friends for himself
Upon another occasion his opponent sought I'M
fair advantage only to be defeated by his
adroitness, and in this case an exhibition
of candor. 1t had been agreed between them
that neither should make mention of the amend
ment to the Constitution forbidding the immi-
grafton of negroes, it being purely State ques-
ton. and wholly irrelevant to the race for Con-
gress. This was the article that during the pre-
ceding year Mr.. Colfax. had so strenuousy OPP
posed in convention. DIR. Fitch, knowing the
character of the crowd before him, and
that many in it had strong prejudces
against the negro, and were strongly opposed
to the course which Mr. Colfax had pursued in
the convention, in answer to public question
from one of his friends, replied that he was
heartily in favor of the adoption of the amend
ment. Mr.. Colfax met the unexpected issus
fairly and frankly. He stated tho previou1
agreement of the candidates, explained that tho
matter had no relevancy to the congressional
canvass, and fully and boldly stated his
views. "These." said he, fare my conscien-
tious convictions. If you ask me to
sacrifice them for seat in Congress, tell you
frankly can not do It, l would not act counter
to my convictions if you could give me fifty
terms in Congress" So popular was the young
candidate that, although not elected he cut
down the opposition majority to 200 from nearly
1,OOO
In 1852 ne was delegate to the Wing con-
vention that nominated General Scott In 1853
he declined second nomination to Congress and
the majority of the Democratic candidate
went up to 1900. In 1854 the Kansas Nebraska
bill being the subject of universal discussion and
NJ fl,o
nation, and received majority of ! ,776. In 1853
Mr. Colfax was reelected and again in 1858 In
June, 1885, he made his memorable speech on
THE Bogus Laws of Kansas This speech, q
world or-word quotation of clause after clause OF
this infamous code accompanied with plain,
sober and calmly-toned explanation of the same.
produced very great effect, and was considered
so able summary Of 1.-The case involved, that
during the presidential campaign Of that year 4
half million copies of it were distributed among
the voters of the United States By way OF
driving home the truths in the case, Mr.. Cofax
when he quoted the clause which inflicted inn
prisonment at hard labor, with ball
and chain, upon any one \ who
should ever say that persons
have not the right to hold slaves in this Terri
tory" lifted from his desk and showed to thu
House an iron ball of the statutory dimensions
six inches in diane ter-apologizing for not
also exhibiting the six-foot chain prescribed
along with it. Alexander H. Stephens after
ward Vice-president of the Confederacy, who sak
close by asked to take this specimen Of pro-
slavery jewelry for freemen, and having tested
it's weight, would have returned it. But Mr.
Colfax smilingly asked him to hold it for him I'M
til he was through speaking, and while the pro-
slavery leader handled the decoration prepared By
his friends for men guilty of free speech, Mr..
Colfax, in a few telling sentences. showed that
Washington and jefferson, and Webster, and
Clay had said the words which would have har-''
messed them. quaternion of convicts, into the
chain-gang of the border rufians.
During his term as a member of tho Thirty
sixth Congress he was chairman of the commit
tee on postoffices and post roads, and did much
and useful work in keeping alive and healthy
the somewhat unwieldy machinery Of that inn
portant institution. notably in the far West
1t was matter of course that Mr.. Cofax
should 60 with all his heart into the great strug-
gle of 1860. He felt and understood with I'M
usual earnestness and clearness the Importance
of the principles involved and the hazards sf-
the political campaign. Into paragraph or two,
witten some time before the Chicago nomination,
he condensed whole code of political wisdom,
and can now be seen to have pointed out Abra-
ham Lincoln as the best candidate by describing
the political availability ard ethical soundness
of the position Mr.. Lincoln then occupied. He
wrote:
1--WE differ somewhat from those ardent con-
temporaries who demand the nomination OF
their favorite representative man. whether pop
ular or unpopular, and who insist that this must
be done, even If we are defeated
We do agree with them in declar-
ing that we shall go for no man
who does not prefer free labor and its extension
to slave labor and it's extension--who though
mindful of the impartiality which should charae-
terize the executive of the whole Union, will not
fail to rebuke all new plots for making the gov
eminent the propagandst of slavery. and COM