Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-03-16


Ex-senator Joseph E. Mcdonald arrived in
Washington at O'Clock this morning. He was
accompanied by Mr.. John c. shoemaker, pro-
prietor of the Indianapolis Sentinel; Mr.. John
Frenzel, banker of Indianapolis, and Senators
MCGEE and Bailey, of Indiana. They missed
connection at Cincinnati, and We're detained
there twelve hours. A STAR reporter called
upon Mr.. Mcdonald at the Arlington this morn
Ing, and found his parlor thronged with his
friends. There was continual stream OF
visitors, and the ex-senator had a cordial
grasp of the hand for each one. In personal APP
pearance Mr.. Mcdonald has not changed in
any particular since he left the Senate. To
The STAR reporter he said that he never en-
toyed better health in his life. With regard TO
his visit here he said 1t had been his purpose
for some little time to come, but he had been
waiting for the crowd to thin out. He added
that he had some business to look after here.
''Iou'll see the President, of course" suggested
'Oh, yes," responded the ex-senator 81 shall
make the acquaintance of our new admnistra-
ton. have neverme President Cleveland, but
from what have heard of him, know shall
like him. Everybo speaks wei of him."
Mr.. Mcdonald commended the retrenchment
policy of the administration. He thought the
interest of the people required that all unneces-
sary expenditures should be cut of, and that
the government should be run upon the princi-
piles OF simplicity and economy.
1t Is no secret among the eN-Senators friends
that he was invited to visit Mr.. Cleveland,
though upon this subject the ex-senator is reti-
was about to return to Indiana, the President
conflded the fact that he would like to see the
ex-senator and have a talk with him, and he
requested that a message to that effect be de-
livered 1t is known that President Cleveland
has high regard for Mr.. Mcdonald, and the
presumption Is that he contemplates evincing
this regard by rendering the 1ndianian some
high position. Mr.. Mcdonald will not
accept any foreign mission. OF that he makes
no secret. According TO some of his friends,
there is no place now within the gift of the adj
miniStration that he would take. One of the
surmises has been that Secretary Manning
really intends to retire from public office as
soon as he shall have organized the Treasury
department and shall see that its affairs are
running smoothly; that the President Is aware
OF this and proposes TO assure Mr.. Mcdonald
that he can have the Secretaryshp of the
Treasury upon the retirement of Mr. Manning
Another supposition is that the President may
intend to tell Mr.. Mcdonald that he can have
the first vacancy on the L. - Supreme bench.
These ideas are purely speculative however.
some of the strongest friends of ex-senator
Mcdonald advise him not to accept any posi-
tiOn from the administration, not because Of
any ill-feeling growing out of the omission Of
test that nothi ig of the kind exists, but Ii is
claimed that Mr.. Mcdonald Id has a sure thing on
the next United States Senatorship from In
diana If he lives. OF the twenty-five
state Senators who hold over and will
take part i'm the next senatorial election sixteen
ent legislature, which has a democratic ma
forty on joint ballot of forty-siN, has passed an
appOrtionment act which gives the democrats
great advantage. 1t is stated by prominent
Indiania democrats that Mr.. Mcdonald is the
almost unanimous choice of his party for the
years he can have place in public life which
he likes and which SrifS him.