The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-08-01
PRIVATE CHASE INTERVIEWED.
He Regrets Gov. Porter's Defamation. but
Thinks the Party Has Plenty of Timber.
Special to the Indianapolis journal

Special to the Indianapolis Journal
DANvILLE, Ind, July 3l.-The declination Of
Hon. A. g. Porter as q candidate for nomina-
ton for Governor caused o general expression
Of regret and disappointment here. The Re-
publicans of Hendricks county were enthusi-
astically friendly to him, and there is not the
least doubt that he could have carried a large
per cent of Democratic votes in this county.
Locally speaking, Hendricka county was for
private Ira ]. Chase for Governor. and at the
late Republican county convention tho dele
gates to the State convention were instructed to
support him by a unanimous vote.
After this action on the part Of the conven-
ton. which was a pleasant surprise to Mr..
Chase, he modestly kept himself in the back
ground. on account. as he assured your CORE
spondent, of the profound respect and admira-
ton he had for Ex-Governor Porter, whose NOM
iuation he had always regarded as q ~foregone
conclusion. Inspired by this sentiment Of es-
tenn for Mr.. Porter. he begged the editor OF the
local Republican paper here not to urge his own
nomination too aegressively. as he did not care
to be placed in the attitude OF bucking against
the peoples candidate.
Feeling that the recent turn of affairs must
have caused Mr.. Chase to modify his views on
the subject Of the gubernatorial nomination,
your correspondent called to see him this morn
ing. He had just returned from Lebanon.
Boone county, having accepted an invitation to
attend the county convention held there last
Saturday. The following interview took place:
'Mr. Chase, what do you think OF ex-Gov ernor
Porteris declinationF"
well, looking over tho record of his past life,
private and public-I am compelled to regard
him az o sincere ara conscientious man. II you
want to get a. his motive, therefore, / must re-
fer you TO mis- recent letter addressed to Senator
Johnson"
81 believe Mr.. Porter did not state in that
letter his original reasons for declining"
HE is not obliged to do that; but 1 think it 10
generally understood that be i. engaged in some
candidacy that could add nothing to his
popularity or to the honors he has already
acquired. would seriously interrupt. l under.
stood his early declination-last February-as
and TO avoid the embarrassing attitude which
his further silence would place him in. Still,
like many others, 1 hoped that he might be pre-
vailed upon to reconsider his resolution. But his
letter to Senator Johnson settles that point and
forces rs to seek elsewhere for q candidate, and
l sincerely hope and believe that we have plenty
Of available timber left in Indiana"
Whom do You regard as the strongest man
next to Porterf'
"Oh, don't AK me that. There's Hon. John
NJ. Butler, 90 keen a statesman as ever the State
produced: and there's Col. Robertson, q brave
and loyal soldier, with a character wholly un-
furnished; and there's Major Steele, another
splendid soldier. equally strong in battle and
General Lew Wallace. hero. states
man and scholar. whose fame is
as wide as civilization; and there's Hon. Will
Cumback, temperance apostle and statesman,
whose mettls has already been tried and fully
tested. tell you there's plenty Of them
plenty Of them
"And what's the matter with private Ira J.
Chase as . candidatef"
"Oh. 1 suppose he's all right, but you needn't
mention il What | want TO see is harmony In
the State convention and unity in the party. 1
want to see the Democratic party beaten at the
polls. | want TO see General Harrison inaugu-
rated at Washington next March. 1 want to
see my fellow-workers in the ranks
protected against q competition with foreign
labor that would degrade Us all and enrich the
English nabobs. But l don't want to see Ameri-
can laborers compelled to pack up and emigrate
to some country thai protects Its citizens. I
don't want to see my country surrender either
Its prosperity to foreign rivals or its honor to
domestic foes. want to see a mar nominated
by the Republicans for Governor of Indiana who
can carry the State; aud | hope that man will be
not only available. but capable and honorable. I"
"Wouid you, Mr.. Chase, accept the nomina-
ton il rendered you2"
"Well. why notl / don't look for IL, but if
such a within should strike the convention I
should not try to concea, a certain degree of
satisfaction at being thus furnished with another
opportunity to reduce Dir. Mstson's majority
And if that reduction should be as great in pro-
portion to the State as il was in the Fifth dis
trict in 1856, / haye an sidea that the Colonel
would find his surplus reduced to q minus
quantity as they say in algebra. In any event
l nm nor q biz afraid to tackle him again; but
whatever the convention does / shall be found
in my plsce-in the ranks-fghtine for pro-
lection, Harrison and the Governor"