The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-27
THOMAS HI. sHERLEY.
How He Endeavored TO Make Villas the Vice
Presidential Candidate.


Presidential Candidate.
Washington Letter. in New York Tribune.
1t was Captain Sherley who, at Chicago, in the
summer of 1884, sought to make Mr.. Villas the
candidate for Vice president ON the ticket with
Mr.. Cleveland. The story is now told for the
first time but of its truth there can be no doubt.
How near the effort came to succeeding can
only at this day be matter of conjecture. but
certain it is that Captain Sherley was most sim
cere il what he did and deeply regretted the
failure of his undertaking. 1t failed largely be-
cause of the excitement which prevailed at the
time, during which Captain Sherley and many
others lost their heads.
Mr. Hendricks was not popular with the Ken
tuckians. The feeling against him was due to
his attitude toward Mr. Tiden and to the scath-
ing denuncatiop of it by Henry Watterson in
the columns Of the CourierJournal. Mr.. Wat
terson was savage in his attacks upon Hendricks
He regarded him as the ''Ephraim Smooth" of
American politics. specious and cunning but
neither WISE resolute nor a grateful man.
Hendricks affected to treat Watte-son's on
slaughts with contempt, and spoke of their
author as bumptious individual with
out authority to arraign party lead
Watterson, in spirit of party discipline, wrote
pleasantly of Mr.. Hendricks. but what he said
seemed to lack sincerity. In connection with
this record previously made Mr.. Hendricks now
made himself additionally odious to the Ken
tuckians. Tho delegates from that State had
been instructed to vote for John G.. Carlisle for
President. That, however. simply move
to keep the vote Of the State in hand. The
heart of the Commonwealth was for Mcdonald.
and it was a fond hope at that
would secure the prize. There were
those of the delegation who from the beginning
only saw disaster in Mr.. Hendricks champion
ship of their candidate, and when they heard
the half hearted plea for his friend their indipna-
ton knew no bounds. 1t was, in their opinion,
the basest betrayal since the career of Judas
They were delighted. therefore. when, after all of
his plotting, Mr. Hendricks was beaten for the
first place. His immediate temperance for
second place astonished nobody. The impress
sion which he artfully nursed that he was the
only Democrat who could carry Indiana had
great weight with some of the delegates but
none at all with the Kentuckians. They set
about to beat aim.
In looking over the field they espied Mr.. Villas
who was ipresiding over the convention. Mr..
Villas was known as a Democrat of the North
west with some pretense an orator His
friends claimed that with him on the ticket two
at least Of the Northwestern States could be
carried. Among those truly eager to believe
this were the Kentuckians They saw a chance
to pay Hendricks for his treachery to Mcdonald
The Hendricks men were giving it out that I'M
less the nomination came to their candidate unan-
imously he would not accept it The silver salver
business was thus being played for a man who
was willing to receive the prize on a hickory
chip. What dismay therefore, would be created
oy An ADVERSE report from one OF the candidates
nearest reighbors. The effect would be to hold
the Hendricks people strictly to their word and
start stampede for the new man The impress
sion would be produced that the old Watterson-
Hendricks feud had broken out afresh, and that
there existed an opposition to Hendricks from
the Tilden quarter, necessarily fatal to the In
diana man.
The convention had assembled and the call of
the States begun. One of the secretaries of the
convention was Thomas S. Petit, prominentin the
politics of Kentucky, and now one of the reading
clerks of the House of Representatives. He had
charge of the roll-call. State after State voted
Hendricks" When Kentucky was reached,
the cheering and confusion was very great It
seemed useless to attempt diversion in favor
of another candidate. Overcome by his sur
roundings Captain Sherley announced the vote
of Kentucky for Hendricks. The announcement
was received with renewed cheering. Delegates
began parading around the hall. All business
suspended. In a few moments Captain
Sherley recovered his presence OF mind and sent
the following note hastily scratched on q piece
of paper, to Petit:
Dear Tom-Change four "a of those votes to Villas.
and announce it. THOMAS H. SHERLEY,
Chairman Kentucky Delegation,
Petit was in doubt what to do. The regular
proceeding would have been for the chairman to
rise and announce the change The Northwest
ern States, whore Villas was strong were yet to
be called were New York and New England,
where Hendricks was weak. 1t seemed still
possible to stem the tide in favor of the Indian.
ian. Petit recognized the Importance of the
message which Sherlcy had sent. but he too,