Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-02-04
US would fade forever from the sight o.

convictions OF my life have brought me
into bitter hostility, and of course
cannot speak in approval of his atti-
tude upon the great questions of the past
upon which the people of the country
divided on party and sectional lines.
To one or two phases of his career and
belief / may, however, properly advert.
He was man of strong convictions,
and he had little respect for those who
were otherwise. He was in no sense or
way trimmer in politics, although the
contrary has been asserted of him. No
public man ever lived to whom the
favor and approval of the masses were
sweeter than they were to Mr.. Hen
bricks. Few public men ever lived
whose course evoked bitterer criticism
from his opponents than did his at times.
The fact that he preferred to stem the
tide of popular sentiment rather than
to walk the easy, open way to popular
favor, is at least conclusive of the
strength of his convictions.
1t had not long before his death be
come fashionable in some quarters to
speak of him as spokesman" If by
this was meant that he desired the be-
stowal of office as mere reward for
party service upon unfit men, or in vio-
lation of existing law, | believe, from
conversation with him upon the subject,
that the accusation was utterly ground
less.
M. Hendricks was heart and soul a
Democrat. He thoroughly believed IN
his party and in its principles. Indeed,
L think If he might give direction to our
words to-day he would bid us say of
him that he was a partisan Democrat.
He rightly thought that politics should
be matter of conviction, and that
every man of firm political faith owed
it to himself and to the country to be
partisan, in this, at least, that he should
labor earnestly, and in all fit ways best
suited to his mental makeup and to
his surroundings, to promote the success
of the principles in which he believed.
To him no political partisanship, hon
orable in its methods. was offensive
He fully realized the value of organiza-
ton. He knew that no great charity
even could be administered without IT,,
and that the command laid upon the
Apostles, $50 ye into all the world, and
preach the gospel to every creature, .
cannot be officially obeyed without or
ganized efforts and partisan service
He recognized the plain necessity for
party organization, aud in the party he
saw only the instrumentality through
which, and through which alone, might
be wrought out the triumph of his prin-
ciples.
In active, faithful, honorable party
service he saw, therefore, devotion to
principle, not mere lust for office. He
believed that the party clothed by the
popular will with the responsibility of
administration should everywhere in
trust the execution of its policies to
those who were in political sympathy
with it and who had at heart its con-
tinued and completest success. He be-
lieved that those of the ruling party who
had done the most and sacrificed the
most in honorable, active party effort
should, if tit for public duty, be by that
party everywhere first called to public
service. Steadfastness in faith he
thought reasonably entitled to the honor
of such recognition. He saw it thus in
law, in medicine, in science, in bust
ness, in education, and in every other
department of mental and physical eff
fort, and he could not embrace a new
philosophy which in politics alone de-
MED it place.
He had tender feeling in his heart
for the men who for twenty-four years,
in sunshine and in storm, had led his
party again and again to certain de-
feat, who had kept alive its organiza-
ton in every state and county and
town, and who had, by unwavering
allegiance and effort, made possible its
ultimate success 4; and he could not
brook, with any degree of patience. the
suggestion, in the hour of his party's
triumph, that such men should be re-
proachfully termed politicians and
denied recognition lest some political
''esthete' should say, sit is a reward
for party service"
The imputation that he was ''spois-
man" rather angered than it grieved
him, for he knew it came from those
who had either been of hostile camp,
or, if of his own, had been wont to
linger in the shade and slumber while
he and the 'boys," as he loved some
times to call the party leaders, had
borne the heat and dust and burden of
the battle.
Spokesman or not, he went down to
his grave, loved, trusted, and mourned
by his party, and | dare to believe that
the element of party fealty which
brought to him this reproach, will not
cause his memory to suffer with the
great mass of his opponents.
The private life of Mr. Hendricks
was stainless, and the record of his
public service is without venal blot
In the fierce heat of party warfare in
which he was leader, in the bitter con-
domination which at times his course in
vited, no man has ever dared TO couple
with the name of Hendricks the sus-
picion of corruption.
AS q public officer he was faithful to
every detail of duty. He took great
pride in his administration of the gem
eral land Office many years ago, and
| frequently referred to it. He brought
to the discharge of that duty peculiar
| fitness, and ordained rules and methods
of procedure there to the wisdom of
which each year since intervening has
brought gratifying vindication.
To the ability and~industry and at
tentiveness with which he discharged
the senatorial duty, the records of the
senate bear permanent and abundant
testimony.
As lawyer he won, deserved and sus-
tanned national reputation for learn
ing and professional skill. His brethren
of the bar and the judges before whom
he practiced bear concurrent testimony
to his singular excellence as an advo-
cate. As alert to discover and attack
the weak points in the armor of his adj
versary as be was to recognize and pro-
tect the weak points in his own, he
gave hard blows and took them with
unrufiled temper. When success
crowned his efforts as lawyer he was
modest and considerate, and when the
standard which he had born went down
in defeat he was patient and serene.
Whatever the fortunes of the profession
al contest, he never grumbled at the
court or mathematical the jury.
As an orator he was persuasive and
attractive. There was a quality in his
voice and q charm in his manner which
/ fravo hin, r.np,p,apJ rs bis a,,1sapoo