Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-01-12

which he has passed. until now he is
in command of the army. Gresham
was bred as n lawyer. He went from
the bar to the battlefield. and as an
officer of Indiana volunteers made an
admirable record. Resuming after the
war the practice of his profession, no
was soon appointed to the United
States District Bench for Indiana
Thence he was invited to the Cabinet
of President Arthur, where he served
as Postmaster-General and for a short
time as Secretary of the Treasury.
Like Sheridan, he was n Stalwart.
Arthur embraced the opportunity Of
fered by the retirement of Judge Drum
mond to appoint Gresham United
States Judge for the circuit which in
cludes Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana
Both Sheridan and Gresham enjoy.
therefore, honorable life employments
in the public service. Neither is rich,
and both may look forward to the
browning of life of labor with an age
OF ease certain that needful worldly
provision is made for them. Admin.ss
trations may come and go. but their
tenure, unaffected by political changes.
is not disturbed. General Sheridan
will be retired in 1895. Judge Gresham
may continue in judicial harness until
the end of his days, or, if he choose.
may after a certain period of service
retire upon pay from the activities of
his Office.
Judge Gresham has the greater
aptitude for political life. but neither
he nor General Sheridan seems inclined
to break from safe and pleasant
moorings to launch upon the troubled
sea of politics. There is an eminently
practical side to the American charae-
ter. and both Sheridan and Gresham
are typical Americans. Both have
seen much of the Presidency since
Lincoln's day. Sheridan was an init
mate of Grant, favorite of Hayes, a
companion of Arthur. Gresham had
two different portfolios under ono
Administration and had his orig
inal judicial appointment from
another. The tinsel of power
deceives neither of them. They
know the worry and responsibility of
a post which endures for eight years
at best, and then terminates absolute
" the active career of the incumbent
AS a Presidential candidate, General
Sheridan need not resign his army
commission. Such a sacrifice was not
required from General Hancock.
There is no precedent of judicial Of
ficer becoming the actual nominee of
a party for the Executive office; but il
Gresham were a candidate. he would,
hab fza1 i,,nVallaA 70 Withdraw
from the bench. If elected President,
Sheridan's resignation of his Lieuten-
ant-Generalship would become neces-
sary. He could not but recall the
fact that General Grant, resigning I'M
der such circumstances. was driven
by subsequent needs to seek Congress
sional action, whereby he might be
placed upon the retired list of the army.
and that one of the first acts of th0
present Administration under the law,
passed just before it's advent, was To-
issue the commission which was u
solace to the old commander in his de-
clining days
However great the personal popu-
larity of Sheridan and Gresham.
neither would enter the campaign with
an assurance of success. Either would
be presented as the leader of forlOrn
hope against the rational. common
sense sentiment of the country. Neither
ought to be sacrificed in such con-
test. Logan, who in his own way pos
sessed no little sagacity, foresaw and
in his last illness declared that the
chance of a Republican candidate in
1888 would necessarily be slender.
Under the leadership of Blaine Ma
tional Republican ascendency was lost
Whatever perils of personal reputation.
whatever trials of personal temper
or health, whatever sacrifices of per-
sonal fortune are to be made in the at
tempt to regain it ought justly fall
upon Blaine himself. The heat and
burden of the next campaign ought 10
fall upon him. - Chicago Herald.