The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-06-06
THE RIVALRY BETWEEN THE
TWO MEN FOR REPUBLICAN
LEADERSHIP.
A HISTORY OF THE ORIGIN OF
THE SAID RIVALRY.
1t Commenced With the Struggle for the
Indiana natorship-Gresham in
Arthur's Cabinet-G resham's
Appointment by Cleveland.

Washington, June 2.-The rivalry be-
tween Judge Gresham and General Harri-
son for leadership in the Republican party
in Indiana has long been an interesting
topic with those fond Of the personal
features of politics. A great deal has
been written on the subject, and much of
it remains undisputed, but there are we'll
informed men who assert that the story
in full and connected scope has yet to be
written. 1t lasted for years, and it
brought into play the resources of two as
resolute and fearness men as ever con-
fronted each other ON any kind of field.
General Harrison won, but Judge Ores
ham, transferring his residence to Hi
nois, continued to play a great part in
affairs, and dies while filling one of the
most important posts in the government.
The first distinct advantage gained by
General Harrison ever his rival occurred
in 1881, when a United States senator
was to be chosen in Indiana to succeed
Joseph b. Mcdonald. The Republicans
had carried the legislature in their tri7
umph of 1880, party prospects were bright
for great lease of power there, and the
demand was for the strongest party or
ganization. ....
General Harrison and Judge Gresham
were easily at the head of the poll of
the local leadership, and it was plain
from the outset that the senatorship
would go to one or the other of them. One
was practicing lawyer of very high
reputation, and the other was the United
States district judge for Indiana Both
lived at Indianapolis, and General Harri-
son occasionally appeared in Judge Ores
hams court: But the two men were
not on friendly terms, and their respective
supporters divided on the question of their
talents and deserts with much show of
feeling.
The choice between them was. in one
sense, not an easy one to make. They had
some qualities in common. Both were
good lawyers, good Republicans, good
men. Both were, personally and polti-
cally, brave and aggressive. Both had
won praise and promotion on the battle
field, and each was still the idol of the
men who had served under him. But
when the whole matter had been can
yassed, the party, by good majority,
decided for General Harrison and he was
chosen senator. There seemed to be much
more in this election than the mere win
ming of a seat in the senate. Indiana
was then, next to New York. oftener in
the calculations of the politicians than
any other State in the Union.
She was one of the pivotal States.
Might not General Harrison come to ma
tional leadership? Why not? Every
thing was assuring; age, eminence, ability,
success, locality, all favored him. His
friends believed, indeed, that they had
placed him in line for the presidency, and
they had no sooner arrived at this con-
clusion than they began to sound senti-
ment at a distance on the subject. 1t
may be mentioned, too, that General Har-
rison S debut in tn senate encouraged all
the hopes of his most ardent admirers.
He went at once to the front, and in one
years service in that body impressed
himself on his associates as a debater
of the first class.
Meanwhile, Judge Gresham had retired
from political view, and was pursuing
the even tenor of his judicial way. There
was no thought in the State that he would
again come to the front, unless in the Line
of the judicial promotion, which his
friends felt he long had richly deserved.
He made no wry faces over his defeat
for the senate. He continued to be
good Republican and to support the par
ty policy. Then, upon the sudden came
the assassination of President Garfield,
the succession of General Arthur to the
presidency, and the complete change in
the party calculations.
New possibilities seemed to open up to
many men, and especially to the newly in
stalled chief magistrate His success in
the White House was as immediate as
that Of General Harrison in the senate.
The country saw that he was a man of
safety and conservatism, and an Arthur
boom for 1884 soon took shape.
Strange to say, the Arthur people did
not at first regard Mr.. Blaine as prob
able rival for the great prize, The
Maine mans disappointment in 1876, and
again in 1880, had been SO bitter, they in
clined to leave him out of the equation
for the future. They turned their eyes
on Harrison, and began to watch him,
and to consider plans for neutralizing his
influence at home and in the surrounding
States. And so, when the vacancy oc-
Cured in the postoffice department, the
Arthur people at once saw an opportuni-
ty. Judge Gresham was their man. He
was not only worthy of the place by rea-
son of his capacities and personal worth,
but his appointment would attach his
friends at home to the Arthur standard
and help check the growth of Harrison.
sentiment for 1884
General Arthur was struck with the
suggestion, and especially when it was
pointed out tDdL the LlckeL might De maze
Arthur and Gresham. The Office was
rendered to Judge Gresham and accept
ed, and the rest is history. The new post
master general made a most favorable
impression on his chief, and they worked
well together. But in time it developed
that it was not Harrison but Blaine who
needed watching and was to be antagon-
lied, and this upset the whole of the
Arthur program. 1t did not, however,
diminish General Arthur's interest in
Judge Gresham, whom he had learned
thoroughly to trust, and SO when Judge
Folger died Judge Gresham was trans
ferred to the treasury department, and
remained there until he was appointed
to the United States circuit bench at Chi
cagO. From that time Judge Gresham
ceased to be an Indiana man in eect on
the political situation, and General Har-
risOn came to an undisputed sway in the
State in the affairs of his party.
The appearance of Judge Gresham at
the head of Mr.. Cleveland's second cabi-
net was a surprise and something of d
shock to his old Republican friends in
Indiana. They had sympathized with his
opposition to the Harrison regime at
home, and they were aware that he was
not in agreement on the tariff question
IL. IL.