The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-05

THE INDIANA MAN.
The Hoosier Who Was Seeking After the
Land Office-He Concludes to ssLay Back"
Washington Letter in Chicago News.
Ny friend from Indiana came here two or three
weeks before the inauguration and sought my
advice. He told me that il was already pretty
well understood out in his State that Joe Nc
Donald was to have place in the Cabinet and
if he did nothing was surer than that he (ny
friend) could have pretty nearly anything he
wanted.
He gave me to understand that he had grown
to be quite IN influential man in State affairs,
and had perfectly clear and fairly brilliant
record as a Democrat. He had been sheriff of
his county, a fact to which he often alluded in
way that led me to believe he expected me to gee
in i. striking coincidence; so began to humor
him that far since I could afford it He had
been prominently connected with the work of
the State COMMITTEES; had got to know pretty
nearly everybody in the State; had been tele-
gra phed to on several important occasions for
advice as to what ought to be done in sudden
emergencies, and by prompt action or reply had
perhaps saved the day for the party He had
also been in several congressional conventions,
and had held Responding candidates up by the
suspenders at critical periods, and borne them
on to victory. For all this they were. of course,
grateful They would do anything he might
care to ask of them, and the time had come when
he did not propose to be modest
Then, too he the special friend of Mr..
Hendricks cold Hendricks, he called him),
and had always sided with him when there had
been any controversy between his faction and
any other faction in the party, and he felt that
this was strong point in his favor
/ was surprised to know how great and inf1u-
entail citizen my friend had become. When
had last seen him he was making good but
rather vigorous fight for an honest living by
practicing law, and it used to be doubtful some
times how the contest would end. But it had
apparently ended satisfactorily, as he told me he
was married now, and that he intended to live
in good style when he came here
AS an old resident of the capital he appealed to
me to advise him. He wanted to know which
were the best places and why they were better
than others, and l was very frank and generous
with him. l told him if he was seeking place
for its political influence he had best get himself
made Pension Commissioner First Assistant
Postmaster-general. II he had money to invest
and wanted to make use of the information he
might gain In office to invest 1t to advantage, l
recommended the Land Office If he was look
ing for chance to Steal there was no place. in
my judgment, equal to the Indian Bureau He
had consulted the blue book before he saw me,
and was very favorably impressed with some of
the places in the Department of Justice
salary was 81, 500. He thought that about
the best thing in sight, and was evidently
strongly impressed with the salary, as
he often came back to it with evident fondness
conversation.
minded him Of the objection the Senate had
made TO Chandler four years ago. and suggested
as carefully as | could that an older man, with
wider reputation in the profession, would no
doubt be sought after, as the place was very
exacting one, and after some reflection he ad-
mitted that possibly I was right. During the
day he went up to the Capitol and called all
his friends among the Congressman and for two
or three days following he was about with some
of them great deal and they seemed to be very
glad to have him along Finally, when he was
about TO return home he told me that they
had generally Endorsed my judgment, and that
he had concluded to take the Land Office He
was all smiles when he babe me good bye. In
fact he had been smiling with good, hearty
thorough sort of a smile every time met him. and
l had come TO think that if anybody could have
guaranteed to make me half SO happy for all time
to come would have closed the bargain at once.
The day before the inauguration ne came to town
again. still smiling and happy The next day /
saw him in the procession. radiant as bride on
her wedding morning. On the day following he
invited me to dine with him at the Arlington
and seemed to be sorry that Pommery Sec was
So inexpensive. He seemed to know pretty
nearly all the members of Tammany and the
County Democracy. and not to care much about
politicians from any other State except his own
They didn't know he said, what he was going to
DO. but that was no matter. They would learn
later. and it would be just as well. They would
what the West could do. and what Western
men made of, and this idea made him par
tlCularly Jolly anu cOnrortaDe.
Late that evening he called me quietly aside
ard told me conidentially that his friends in
sisted he should take the first assistant post
master generalship. He didn't like to change
very much, but they had made up their minds
about it, and rs they were very high up and very
near She President, he didn't think it to his in
terest to insist on the other place. He didn't
tell who his friends were, but left me to infer
that they were party managers and most infiu-
entail They were sure to win. Then he wanted
ho
and gave him the names of such as 1 then
knew. He thought them carefully and
then said he did'n think any of the lf-dozen
had much chance against him. The
next day there more candidates. but he
was still confident, though l fancied his smile
lacked some of the cenuineness of quality it had
before contained. Still he argued that since his
State had been left out of the Cabinet there
could be no doubt that it would be given plenty
of other good places in recognition of its cleo
toral vote. There seemed to be an argument in
this and was satisfied. Time went on. Day
by day my friend grew less jolly, and then he
began to grow more sad. At the end of about
week he told me very quietly that he believed
he was ''dished" so far as the rostoffce was
concerned. He had about maze up his
mind to 20 back to the Land Office. At
the end of another week he began to have
grave doubts about that Then he said he and
his friends had concluded to make square
issue with the President They were going to
remind him of what they had done and inquire
whether they were to get nothing in return If
they Gid not get satisfactory reply they intend
ed to go home in disgust and Lay back till their
time should come
Sometime within the next three or four days
he disappeared. On inquiry at the hotel counter
found he had paid his bill and gone homo. I
have not seen him since, nor heard from him,
and since both a First Assistant Postmascsr-gen-
eral and a Land Commissioner have been ap-
pointed conclude that he is still 'laying back"
Ard there are lots of others like him.
EREE-TR AnIr AnNAO rru