The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-06-24

MRS. JOSEPHINE r. MCDONALD.
A WEDDING GIFT
FROM THE BROTHER SENATORS
OF
Joseph T. MCDONALD


Mr.. McDonald's health through life was
most excellent until last December, when
the disease that finally brought his death
began to give signs Of its approach through
at first only mild attacks of indigestion.
He suffered more or less with these
through the winter at Washington, but it
did not deter him from his usually daily
business routine. He came to Indiauapo-
lis from Washington for the last time
April l. For several weeks thereafter he
was able to ride to his office and spend a
few hours there, but these visits gradually
ceased, until he was finally forced to re-
main at home until he reached the end of
his life.
Ever n Lawyer.
Throughout his entire lifetime he strict
lv adhered to his resolution to follow the
law and make a success of his profession.
He was engaged in some OF the most i'm
portant cases that were ever tried in the
state since his admission to the bar. and
not only in this state but in other states,
and notably i'll Washington, and also be-
fore the supreme court of the United
States, as already alluded 10. Among the
early Indiana cases which attracted uni
versal attention was the State vs. Sidney
murder by poison. The prosecution
was conducted by Judge Gregory of
Lafayette and Gen. Lew Wallace of
Charlottesville aided by strong
public prejudice. The case was success
fully managed by Mr.. Mcdonald much to
the surprise Of the entire bar. Mr.. Nc
Donald was also counsel for the defend
ants in the celebrated case of the United
States VS.. Bowles, Milligan and Horsey,
tried for conspiracy and treason by p
military commission and sentenced to b
hung. The case was taken 10 the supreme
| court of the United States. where several
constitutional questions arose as to the
relation OF the general government to the
states, the war power of the government
and the rights of the citizens. The de-
PENDANTS were released by the supreme
court.
Senator Mcdonald was counsel in the
noted case of Beebe VS.. the state in which
the supreme court decided that the enact
ment known as the Maine Liquor Law"
was unconstitutional. He was also in the
widely known case of the state vs. Abrams,
charged with completely in the horrible
Cold Spring murder, in which Nancy Glen
was one OF the central figures. The case
was originally tried i'll Marion county.
for the parties who assailed the
constitutionality of what was known as
the Baxter liquor law.
In the supreme court of the state and
| also in the federal courts he took an active
part in many important cases, one of the
most important being the case OF the Pitts
burg, Cincinnati & st. Louis railroad COM
pany versus the Columbus, Chicago &
Indiana Central railway company in
which were involved a network OF rail-
road interests and large sums of money,
depending upon the validity and con-
struction of a ninetv-nine years lease.
He made the principal argument for the
objectors in the count of the electoral vote
of Louisiana before the electoral commits
sion appointed to determine the result of
| the presidential election of 1876. Mr..
Mcdonald thought that the creation of
this commission was the exercise of a
doubtful power in case of apparent
necessity.
Mr.. Mcdonald was a firm, consistent
| democrat OF the Jeliersonian school, as
personifed in the life of Andrew jackson.
He thought that the true idea of the
American democracy was to preserve un-
to the states respectively and
W Jig ptUplG MlbbOub lull llukllie
upon any of the powers delegated to the
general government by the constitution
and that constitutional government was OF
| the first Importance and a necessity to the
perpetuity of the American union. He
believed in the virtue Of the people and
in their ability and purpose to maintain
their institutions inviolate against the
assaults of designing men. AS an orator,
both at the bar and on the stump and
| platform he was cool, logical and forcible
as citizen he had the respect and conf
dence of all who knew him, regardless OF
| political creeds and he was regarded by all
| parties as statesman of acknowledged
merit and of broad and liberal views upon
all questions of public interest. He was
not trimmer or man of mere expedi.
ents, but, confident in himself, he stated
his opinions clearly and boldly, leaving
the results to the candid judgment of the
people, whose confidence he never be-
| trayed or sacrificed to personal aggrandize-
| ment.