The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1895-05-31
United States district Judge in his ma.


In 1880, when one Of the customary
changes in the complexion of the In
diana Legislature made it possible to
elect republican to succeed Mr.
Joseph E. Mcdonald 70 the United
States senate, Judge Gresham and
Benjamin Harrison were the leading
candidates for the position and Mr..
Harrison secured the election
After the death of Garfield in 1889
Judge Gresham was rendered the
position of postmaster general
in President Arthur's reorganized
cabinet and resigned his district Judge
ship to accept it. When Secretary Fol-
ger died, in 1884, after his overwhelm-
ing defeat as candidate for governor
of New York by Grover Cleveland, Mr..
Gresham was transferred to the treas
ury portfolio, thus vacated. The du-
ties of cabinet officer and the exact
ing requirements involved in the dis
posal of the patronage of one of the
greatest executive departments of the
government were not to his taste,
and at his own request Presi-
dent Arthur nominated him, after
barely three months service as secre-
tary of the treasury, to the position of
circuit judge for the seventh jul
dicial circuit, which embraces the
states of Indiana, Illinois and Wiscon-
sin. He retained this position until, at
Mr.. Cleveland's urgent personal re-
quest, he joined Mr.. Cleveland's second
cabinet as secretary of state. But in
the meantime varying political move
ments had brought his name forward
as candidate for the presidency.
In the interlude in the conven-
ton at Chicago which subsequently
nominated Benjamin Harrison, Col.
Robert G. Ingersoll was called to tho
platform for patriotic speech, and
after filling the convention with one OF
his finest bursts of eloquence, suddenly
sprung the name of Judge Gresham as
presidential nominee and attempted to
stampede the convention to his sup
port. The utterly unexpected anti
climax which followed this dramatic
incident is something which even the
most experienced frequenters of politi-
cal conventions will always bear in
memory. 1t seemed as though the en-
tire convention rose as one man and
hooted down the eloquent speaker for
what was regarded as an attempt to
take snap Judgment on them and
Judge Gresham's name was not again
seriously considered by the convention.
In 1892 the populist party sent del
egation to tender Judge Gresham a
nomination at the head of their ticket,
but he declined to accept the offer. and
remained on the bench until he re-
signed at the personal request of Mr..
Cleveland to become secretary of state.
recently-published semi-official
statement as to the foreign policy Of
the present administrator claims
credit for Secretary Gresham for hav-
ing successfully interposed our good
offices in the late Nicaraguan disputes
with Great Britain in such a way as
| to secure an aniicable settlement,
while at the same time admoDishing
that lmpetuous little republic that
the United States could not be made a
party to its acts of rashness and injus-
tice." Especial credit is also claimed
for the settlement of the Mosquito re-
serve territorial question with En-
gland in connection with the Nicara-
guam question.
1t is also asserted that the Hawaiian
policy of the administration has di-
vested the Latin-American republics,
and particularly Mexico. of the night
mare of desire for annexation on the
part of the United States, and has
paved the way for commercial expan-
sion with them. In consequence thereof
| the fears of these countries have been
effectually dispelled, and their atti-
tude towards the United States, 1t is
said, has been more trustful and more
cordial ever since.
The satisfactory adjustment of the
Alliance affair with Spain is pointed
to as an indication that by a course
such as Secretary Gresham pursued.
"peace with honor" could be main
tanned, and without bluffing or atti-
tudinizing."
Personally Secretary Ores ham Sc
cured the warmest regard of those
most closely associated with him. In
all his domestic relations he was most
exemplary. His brilliant record as a
brave soldier and his conscientious de-
votion to his duties in the high capaci-
ties to which he was called will in
sure for his memory national respect.