The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-15
A REPUBLICAN TALKS
OF President Cleveland and Some
Matters for Public Con-
alteration.

Colonel John A. Bridgelsnd, Of Rich.
mond, Ind, who is known as Republican
for all that the term implies, stopped Sem
tinel reporter in the Denison Hotel yesler-
day. The result Of the halt was talk. any
onel who ever met Colonel Bridgeland
will back him, with odds, against any other
living man in a talking bee. He can tackle
intelligently any subject from navigating
the oriental seas to pissiculture. He was,
under president Grants administration,
United States Consul to Havre, France.
During the recent campaign he called "a
Governor Cleveland in New York, and in
the conversation with The Sentinel was m
stinted in his terms of admiration OF the
personal bearing OF the Presdent-elect.
ST am not one of the Republican croak-
ers," ssid Colonel Bridgeland. referring to
the change to occur on the 4th of Marcn.
1--WE have had panic since 1873 barring
two years-1S79 and 1SS0-and after that
over production continued the panic. We
sre, IN my opinion, 81 hard pan, and should
President CLEVELAND call about him as ad-
visers some of the men indicated by the
newspapers his administration Is destined
| TO be 4 successful and popular one. First
OF whom General Graf said TO me in 1882.
/ that he might be our next President, aud
| il the Democratic party was 20 regain as.
! tendency he hoped Joseph Z. McDo aid
might be its choice, for, said he, M. Nc
| Donald is both able and honest and would
make q good President General Grant
was doubtful of the success of the Republi-
cans in 1884 owing TO the lack Of harmony
| in the party
lone of the good things 70 be hoped for
| from the incoming administration, said
Colonel BridgelaDd, ''since both parties in
sisted upon 1t during the last canvass is the
re. establishment Of the American navy and
the building mp of our mercantile marine.
| The money which would be expended on
| this would contribute TO our relief from
financial difficulties. The Republican party
| should have done this important work, bat
the country has had too much land for too
| few people, and 10 has requiI ed the efforts OF
the best brains in it to span the continent
with iron rails, and 10 erect other internal
| improvements, that have challenged the no
tice of other nations of he world for our
progress in the last quarter Of century. The
contempt of the Old World has been
| turned into Jealousy, and IN my opinion
it is our duty to increase that jealousy
Now we have more miles OF railway than al
| the balance of the world. But we have kept
out of the fogussls' of the mercantile marine
our young men. We now want 20 clear on
as far as possible from our mercantile
marine, as all other respectable nations have
done, the English sailors who have fol
twenty years controlled the merchant ser
vice not only OF our own country, but o
every country in the world"
Commenting on the inferioTity OF th'
United States Navy, Colonel BridgelanC
mentioned an incident of his CousushiI
abroad, when our Government in 1878. sen
to Havre six vessels belonging to it's navy
with articles for the Paris Exposition.
"As the French people had such 81 ex
allied idea of every thing being large auC
great on our side" he said, 1.-THE population
of Havre turned out on the quay to reeeiv.
a man-of-wsr from the United States, az
l turned out with them. Lo and behold
II was the little old Supply that had oeer
"a transport for sixty years. When hesrC
the comments OF the French people sough
retirement. The next morning the Journs
de Hsvre laughed at the vessel as bein
very little and very old"
Referring TO our foreign civil service, Col
| onel Bidgelsnd said:
Our consular service, If properly sup
/ ported by the Govern ment by selecting prac
teal bushes men and allowing them q
make business tIsDss ctions for shippers n
American products, instead of being 70
| stricted as they now are, would find many
market for the surplus OF our products. b
| for the consumption on the other side OF tn
Atlantic We had best not produce any sur
plus"
Governor Cleveland" Colonel Bridgelap'
concluded, has great future before him
IL he he's The wisdom to take advantage @
the mistakes the Republicsn party NATURALLY
must have made"