The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-30
JUDGE DAVID DAYIS'S IDEAS.
What He Said in the Last Public Inter-
view He Granted the Reporters.
His Estimate of Conkling, Hendricks and 9th
ers-His View Of Civil Service, the Tariff.
and the Republican Party's Future.

and the Republican Party's Future.
Chicago Times.
The last visit of Judge David Davis to Chicago
was on holiday shopping trip with his wife.
He arrived at the Grand Pacific Hotel on the
the evening of Dec 10. 1885. and successfully
arranged to protect himself from theinterviewer
during his first night in the city On the fol
lowing day. however, he walked into group of
reporters who were lying in wait for him in the
lobby of the hotel. He was in an unusually
good humor at the time, and when the boys told
him they were pining for talk with him he in
vited the party to his room
The procession to the elevator and along the
corridors of the parlor floor was an imposing one.
but 1t did not interfere with the ordinary bust
ness of the house. The Judge saw that his
guests of the moment were comfortably seated,
and then he plunged into closet, from which he
emerged with small satchel liz his hand. He
opened this, and asked the reporters if they
wouldn't like to eat some apples. No one
seemed to banker for the fruit, and the Judge,
after tossing half dozen fall pippins on the
counterpart of his bed, began munching another
one, and seated himself within easy reach Of his
collection, facing his auditors. who were in
rudely formed semi circle
He received congratulations on his improved
physical appearance with very evident satistac-
ton, and replied to them by saying:
II have not felt SO we'll IN twenty years. My
health believe, is as nearly perfect as 1t could
be, and my peace of mind is what might be called
enviable. There is no living man against whom
cherish enmity. have had my share-more
than my share-of the work and the rewards of
active life, and am prepared, think, for the
balance of my time to enjoy the rest that have
earned
There was an interval of silence. during which
the Judge ate another apple, contemplatvely.
Then he suddenly asked the question:
Are all the newspapers represented"
He was answered eagerly in the affirmative,
whereupon he demolished the hopes Of the re-
porters by saying, with deliberate emphasis:
Il like to talk with newspaper men, but
very positively don't like to be interviewed, and
unless you will promise me not TO print what
say tnis assembly viii be turned into Quaker
meeting from this moment
The promise was given, and during his life
time it was rot violated. With the conditions
arranged to suit him, the distinguished old gen
tleman talked with delightful freedom for an
hour or more. Subsequently the writer made
notes of some of the topics touched upon for
the posthumous purpose to which they are now
put.
The conversation was practically monologue
without definite boundaries, ranging from the
narrative OF personal incidents in the public ca
reer of the speaker to careful estimates of the
wisest policy to be pursued in the disposition of
the weightest questions of the day.
1t was quite apparent that Judge Dayiss recol
lections of his services 10 the Senate were
especially satisfactory to him, anc he enjoyed
gosspng about his former associates in that
d!gnifed body.
in the Senate. He is of vast culture and
great repository of information. Conkhng
too is an extraordinary man. He is brimful of
information OIL all subjects, and though he has
not the popular manner, be is, in very many re-
spects, Admirable Matt Carpenter was a man
of great ability. He was always studying. and
he never touched subject without exhausting
it. He was not only great debater, but he
was great advocate. Blaine, now. is a good
debater, and he is great talker but his place is
not with those that have mentioned.
when I in the Senate Thurman was
the ab!est Democrat in that body. as he is now
the ablest man in his party. He was, in the
truest sense of the word, great debater, be-
cause his arguments were always made upon
principle He never INDUCED in personalities
that would be beneath him-and everyone loved
him. Hendricks was large man, profound
lawyer, who always kept mp with his profession,
and debater great enough to command the re-
spcct Of the most formidable opponent John
Sherman is also very good debater, but of an
other rank"
An inquiry developed the fact that the Judge
had very clear,cut views on the policy of civil
service reform.
That will always he a living question be.
tween the parties" he said. ''Just now the
President is honest in his desire for civilservice
reform, but his party is not with him, and
officials who succeed in defiance of their party
are rare In this matter the Republicans are no
better than the Democrats--both are eager for
the practical rewards of party success. It would
be great blessing if the service were on the
same basis as that OF France and England
where changes in the administration make no
difference to oficeholders. Really, Washing
ton clerk is not to be envied, because as he be-
gins he ends. He has chance to get beyond
a fixed salary, while almost any man on the
payroll of the government could do better
for himself by applying the same amount of
ability to business. It will probably be very
long time before the great masses of the people
can be made to take any interest in the civil
service question. The great middle class. upon
whom the development and prosperity of the
country depends, cares nothing about who holds
the Offices SO that affairs go on smoothly. On
the whole, as you must agree. very small per-
centage of the people are Office seekers. Before
tho masses of the people can be brought to act
lively favor the establishment of a desirable sys-
TEN Of civil service the politicians must be
brought to favor it, so you the disposition of
the question is yet very far off,
Judge Davis was disposed to regard the tariff
agitation as rather a mild disturbance. s'There
is not nearly so much agitation about the tariff
now" said he, "as there was when was begin
ming life. / was in the Legislature in 1910, and
we discussed the tariff then with much more
heat than the question arouses row. l can re-
member very distinctly that in 1874 the whole
East was reused by the cry in the presidential
campaign, OF Polk, Dallas, and tho tariff of 49,
1t is time wasted to get excited over the tariff
1t will always be a party question, and its set
tleE1ent is as remote now as it was in the 40s.
1t is question of interest rather than of poll
tics, and Ii will never be settled so long as it
pays tho manufacturer to have tariff"
There was more talk about cue presidential
succession in December last than there is at
present. Judge Davis had his mind made up on
That question also He said. unhesitatingly,
that Congress should pass the Hoar bill to regu
late the succession in the presidency in the event
of President dying in Office.
There is other way he said (which
49,