The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-09-10

ideal thing was to be ignored by the pub
lie and be to it an object of Indifference.
In speaking of the public, he told the
story of the man who owned the ass and
dog He was always beating the ass
and petting the dog. The ass did all the
work and served his master faithfully,
and could not understand why the dog
was always the object of his most affec-
tionate regard. He thought it all out
one day, and observed that when his mas
ter came home the dog flew at him with
joyous banks of welcome and jumped up
in his lap as he sat down. The ass
thought he would demonstrate his affec-
ton in the same way, and SO came bray
ing at his master upon his return one day
and jumped up on his lap in about the
same way that the affectionate public
runs at one of it's favorites, and with about
the same happy result.
Col. Ingersoll made his first appearance
in the field of national politics in the con-
vention of 1876 in Cincinnati. 1t was his
eloquent tribute to Mr. Blaine in that con-
vention which gave him his national repu-
tation. He was already well known in
the West as one of it's most effective
speakers on the stump, and one OF It's
coming lawyers. His picturesque imagery,
his power as an orator as displayed then
attracted wide attention A number of
his Western speeches were then repro
duced, and made profound impressions
on account of The real character OF his elo-
quence His Soldiers Dream, called
ga Vision of War;" is one of the most elo-
quent things in the language
1t was soon after the convention of 1875
that Colonel Ingersoll came to Washing
ton and joined his brother, who had al
ready fine legal practice in the National
capital The two brothers were thor
oughly devoted to each other. They
worked together as two brothers should.
The death of E. c. Ingersoll was great
blow to the Colonel The field of politics
proved very disappointing one during
the campaign of 1876. The Colonel was
very active. He was in great demand by
the campaign committee, and spoke very
often with great force and effect Yet he
found, after Hayes was inaugurated, that
there could be no recognition of his serv-
ices He never wished to hold any pubic
office, but he did desire an honorable
recognition of those services He held
that if the party managers could afford to
use his services during the campaign they
could afford after the campaign to recog-
nize him His friends proposed his name
for the mission to Berlin. Mr.. Hayes said
he could not shock the religious people of
the country by appointing him to any
place. The Colonel never asked for any
thing. He was always too proud and
high spirited for that. If he had been
offered the Berlin mission he would have
declined it, He gave his services freely
and willingly, and when this objection
was brought to him he ceased for the
time to take very much interest in poll
tics and devoted himself to his law bust
ness as before. In the Garfield campaign
he was again invited to take part in the
canvass. He good naturally complied.
He was more active even in this campaign
than in the preceding one. Garfield was
elected. The man whom he had nomin
ated at Cincinnati in 1876 with SO much
eloouence was made Secretary Of State.
Mr. Window, personal friend, was made
Secretary of the Treasury. Colonel In
gersoll at that time occupied high seat
in the interior counsels of the admins
tration. He was constantly consulted by
the makers of the Cabinet, and was very
close to Garfield and to Mr.. Blaine.
remember during the uncertain period
when Mr. Blaine was in the senate and
had not yet told the public that he would
go into Garfield's cabinet, that l sent a
note up to Col Ingersoll asking him
when he thought Mr.. Blaine would resign
from the senate and come out. l have
his autograph reply, in which he said:
"Mr. B., think, will not let go the tail
of one eel unCl he has firm grip on the
next-R. @. l."
Colonel Ingersoll received no recognit-
ion at the hands of this administration,
made up almost entirely of his personal
friends. The reason given was the same.
The religious people of the country were
too strong, and while his services were
very highly appreciated and they would
always be glad to have them in any cam
paign, yet the road was not clear to giving
him any great public office. I never
heard the Colonel make any complaint.
He kept on in his even course, devoting
himself after this entirely to his law
practice and the lecture field. He could
with difficulty be brought to indorse
even an application for office
1t was not long after this that he came
to New York, where he found his talent
as a lawyer and jurist more highly ap-
preciated than anywhere else. His lines
have fallen now into most pleasant places.
He has all that he can do and is generally
recognized as one OF the fore men of his
time as writer, as public speaker and
as lawyer. There is no lecturer in the
field today who draws such vast audiences
When I was in Chicago last fall the Colo
mel was announced to lecture in the great
| Auditorium This audience chamber will
hold some seven thousand people. Every
seat was filled. During the two hours he
talked no one moved except to applaud or
to laugh, and such was the magic charm
of his eloauence that no one left during
the two hours, and he could have held the
o,d;aroo fov two hours lonpa had he so