The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-02-27


During the same campaign his withers
were wrunx by the nomination OF Godlove
+. Ortiz for Governor. he 1airly boiled
with wrath. and there were no terms strong
enough to xpress his disapDrovaL In the
midst or the campaign, through the sue
cessful Vaccinations of a clique. OF which
Gresham was distinguished member. Mr.
Friedley. chairman OF the state central
committee. was prevailed upon to assemble
the committee. The fatal mistake was
made-Orth was Withdrawn. The conf
mIttee found It difficult TO find a substi-
tute for Ortn. Suffice It to say. the choice
fell upon General Harrison who W as absent
from the city, In the north. without being
consulted as TO his desires IN the matter.
but. being thoroughbred Republican. he
undertook the forl0rn hope. vigorously
entered upon and conducted the canvass
but IL proved unsuccessful. The nOmina-
tIon of Harrison filled the cup of bitter
ness OF Gresham TO overlooking. He was
frantic with rage. AS a matter OF course,
he did not vote for HarrIson-nobody who
knows him ever believed he did-the GER
tainty that he did not is established by his
own admission that he voted for Governor
Williams. 1t may be safely assumed that
he also voted for TIlden. Hendricks and
reform. Gresham is. and always was. a
great champion of reform, even * he Is
IN nothing else great
When the nomination of General Grant
was agitated in 1880 Judge Gresham was
an advocate of General Grant. not so much
Dccdusb 10 was u0ueT w oihuts
but for the reason that q nomina-
tiOn for third term threatened
q split in the Republican party, ana
IN the confusion Gresham might profit by
tt. The defeat of Grant he took as per-
sonal injury; be vas not overwh lined with
q desire foT Gartild's election. The man.
sgement OF the Republican campaign
against General Hancock did not SUIT bis
views; IL was characterized as highly rep
rehensible against distinguished soldier
~
the soldiers friend. According TO Gresh-
ans standard of o soldier IL seems that
General Garfield was not much OF SOL
der. and Gresham is q Judge Of what q
soldier is; but this time he talked too much
and too lOud, aud overshot his mark. be-
fore Gar6elds Inauguration 1t was cur
rently rumored that Gresham was the
choice for "a Cabinet position. A number
of Congressman. advised of his carpinR
criticisms. had il in pickle for him, and,
with General Tom Browne at their head.
90 emphatically protested against the con-
templated appointment that the project
was unceremoniously dropped like red hot
ball. The nomination of Porter during the
campaign of 1850 greatly rritated and
vexed the Judge. He indulged IN much
disparagement, snarling aud sueering.
WHY HE OPPOSED PORTER.
What specially reused the personal re-
sentiment of Judge Gresham was the fact
that Mr.. Porter volunteered for the defense
of the parties implicated in the railroad
disturbances in July. 1877. As Judge
Gresham had taken the chief part in the at
tempt to suppress the supposed violence of
the railroad employees. and was chiefly in
strumental In raising militia and all other
nonsense. be could not forgive Mr.. Porter.
He denounced him In unseemly language
as q demagogue, and exhausted the vocab-
ulary in giving vent TO his disaDprOval of
Mr. Porters conduct. because his clients
refused to be tried before Judge who was
biased against them. Now 1t must be re-
membered that this occurred before Judge
Ores ham had been metsm0rphosed into the
'-laboring mans" friend, the great enemy
of monopoly and "plutocratIc corpora
tions" of whom he now pretends TO be the
chiefest. When the great change of heart
took place must DO left To conjecture, and
that It is the outgrowth of unseltish. pure.
honest motives must not be doubted Any
body who has an mixing of Judge Gresh-
ANS conciliatory disposition would be
loath to believe that hs voted for Porter.
After the election of Garfield 1t was
Judge Gresham who instigated. If no did
not actually write. the Honest Jim" let
ters In the Cincinnati Commercial The
pretended exposure of the Dorsey business
was all manufactured conjecture, but
"Honest Jinly fictitious revelations So
laced the distracted. fearful Democracy
and gave them something TO talk about.
That was, anyhow, q point gained. At
th Il time he was already under SUSPICION.
and It is hardly credi BILE that astute party
IN Inagers would contde any party secrets
t1'such man. lt Is also the well-founded
b5ief that the open letters of w. 4. Fish.
back to stanton j. PeelIe published In the
News about that time. were incubatod in
that cave of Adnllam. the chambers of the
district judge. They wer0 intended to
make harmony in the Republican party.
Now. in chronological order comes his
abortive attempt to be elected Senator in
competition with General Harrison. After
compromising his friends he abandoned
the field without measuring swords with
his antagonist. 1t was not a brilliant sue
cess.
Some time after Arthur's accession. Post
master general Howe died. In selecting a
successor he wanted Western man who
could be of assistance IN manipulating a
nomination for another term. and John w.
Foster, the present Secretary OF State, dis
covered for him Judge Gresham. The ap-
pointment was rendered. and with char
acteristic self-denial accepted by Judge
Gresham. who resigned his life position on
the bench for one or temporary tenure.
This unselfish action was still more praise
worthy when 10 Is known that no one en-
tertaned a moro c0nteAptible opinion of
Arthur. short time before. than Gresham.
IL was the same Arthur who. as Vice Presi-
dent-eleot. presided at the soap banquet
where the corrupt politicians OF the Steve
Dorsey and Steve ElkIns school. with kin
dred spirits. celebrated the Republican vic
tory achieved with crisp tw o-dollar bills. y
rs revealed in the classical letters Of
"HoDest JIM" which story was dwelt upon
with delight by Gresham, with n conscious
ness of immaculate purity. Arthur was
denounced in those days by Gresham and
his kind a corrupt ward hummer. the
representative of the New York slums IN
politics. q disgrace TO the exalted position
TO which the American people elected him;
but Gresham's patriotism, of which be
Keeps full stock on hand for ali emer-
gencies. with u determination of making
virtue OF dlsagreeable necessity, accepted
the place TO serve the country real self
sacrificing. noble act. which puts IL clear
out OF the question that considerations oil
personal advancement had any thing to dc
with it. Perish the thought.
HOW IKE BECAME GREAT MAN.
When he took his place in the Cabinet he
distinguished himself by worrying hi,
subordinates with petty annoyances and
fitful ebullitions of his imperlous temper
There is no evidence of any great improve
ment in the service of his department, ex
cept. perhaps, the change of design anC
color of postage stamps. which Is classe(
by his admirers "a an exhibition of sur.
passing ability and craftsmanship; but b,
was not idle. He awaited himself of hi
opportunity TO let wondering world know
how great a man he really was by cuItIvat
Ing the correspondents of the press In
Newspaper row at Washing ton. Ii was
novel experience 20 have a Cabinet Off eel
30 unmindful of his dignity. spending hi
evenings among newspaper men. Tbes,
nel IN.