The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-04
THE NEXT SENATOR.
Too Soon to Discuss the Man, but Not
Too Soon for other Things.

To the Editor of the indianapolis Journal:
1t is none too soon to be seriously con-
sidering matters bearing upon the next
senator from Indiana bat it is eighteen
months too soon to be discussing the man.
We cannot afford to go into the next cam
paign with half dozen or more of our
best men sulking, because there is no pos
sibility of their recognition in the bestow-
ment of favors by the Legislature if we
have a majority on joint ballot But Mr.
Claypool has SO thoroughly exploded the
idea of instructing the Legislature in adj
vance that it is not necessary to add a
word on that phase of the question, though
it may not be out of place to suggest that
we have no Lincoln 20 pit against a Doug
las, or Morton against a Hendricks; not
because we have not their equals if wa
had the occasion to develop them by some
overshadowing issue. There are issues in
the womb of the future that will develop
leaders second to none that have gone be-
fore, but these issues are too embryotic yet
to have more than indicated the leaders in
embryo, though the careful reader of the
indications" can form no mean forecast
of both issues and leaders. Perhaps the
best that can now be predicted is that
within the next decade the new alignment
of politics will as certainly and as serious
ly disturb present parties as the politics Of
the ffties did tie parties OF that period
But, though too soon to discuss the man,
it is not day too soon To be considering
the kind Of a man our next senator should
be, no matter what may be his politics At
the beginning of such a discussion THIS
self-eVdent truth must be recognized, and
everything must graduate with II. The Re
publican party owes the ciice TO no man
in consideration of past services IN any de-
partment of public or private life; hence
The question to consider is lot what this or
that man has done but what he can 90
and is likely to be able TO do in the future.
The application of ;his principle rules out
one of our very best men at the very pc
ginning. If Col K. W. Thompson mad
been in the Senate twenty or thirty years
his age would not prevent his re-electon,
for he could probably render better service
the next six wears than any younger man
would be likely TO do. New England ana
the old South always prohted by Keeping
their senators right along, though in many
instances they were Cnly medlocfe, men
But we hardly seriously entertain the
thought of giving MIN me hohor OF one
term just by way of recognizing his past
services in literature, in legislation ana IN
the navy. We can do better with younger
man, in whom there may be twenty or
thirty wears of service. We want no old
man. A second basal principle IS, ne
need not necessarily be a LAWYER, BENG a
him but il is not essential to his quallhca-
ton He need not have been heretofore
conspicuous as an officer. Some of the best
senatorial timber in the party. has never
held any office, living in counties ana dlS-
tricts in which an office by election Is IN
possible; but the man who Is suited to the
senatorship has not been kept i'm obscurity
because he has not been in Office. Last.
for the present but by means the least,
we are not to accept as conclusive the IN
dividual estimate of himself any given can
didate may have, whether that estimate -
based upon what he has done or what ne
believes he is capable of doing if ne ohiy
had a chance. OF course, man VINO IS
reaIlv fl for senator is somewhat aware OF
his fitness, but some of those who suffer
the greatest agony of mind because they
believe they have overy possible prerequl-
site in a large degree have failed 10 I'M
press their fellow-citizens that way.
our first duty is to get the Legislature:
To do this let US accept the services or
every man who thinks he is a senatorial
possibility We will not elect any man VINO
is not an active Republican. but as we can
not elect every active Republican, Wv we Wlsn
the time comes We can hardly go amlss
with such an array of competent men men g glE3
has his future before him, behind hum
indianapolis, June 2 L. l.. 0EH'