The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-09


sion by completing the Suez canal. The
two men became fast friends in the years
that followed the beginning OF the colossal
operations at the Isthmus of Panama. Col
Thompson was the soul of honor, and there
is no doubt that had he dreamed of the
savory ending Of the undertaking and the
scandals that developed a few years later
he would have spurned the offer. In the
light of what we know now it is evident
that De Lesseps, even at that early date,
was more of a schemer than the world
was aware, and that he urged Colonel
Thompson to resign the secretaryship of
the navy to accept the presidency of the
American branch of the company solely
for the effect the announcement that 1.-The
American minister of marine had resigned
to take charge of our company's affairs
on that side of the Atlantic would have
upon the French capitalists who were SUBJ
scribing the money to carry on the enter
prise.
In politics he was born leader. He had
a knack of knowing instinctively what
was going on. He seldom did any of the
actual work of organization, as he had at
all times the entire confidence of his party
Republican), and there were plenty of bet
ter organizers to attend to the details
when once the general plan was mapped
out for them. AS far back as 1880 he de-
livered the opening and closing speeches of
the national campaign in Indiana at Terre
Haute in both of which he stated that he
was growing old and probably would not
live to address bss fellow-townsmen on the
eve of another presidential election. He
said the same thing in the "a campaign.
and repeated it in IS and '92. He was one
of the most eloquent speakers in the
United States ands for many years. even
after his hair was silvered by age, he re-
tanned the titles Of the "Silver-tongued
Orator and the "Old Man Eloquent"
One of the most pathetic incidents ever
witnessed was when the old man broke
down completely in, the middle of speech
at Masonic banquet He was so disap-
pointed that it made him ill., and for a
time he seemed to feel that his end was
approaching. He recovered completely
however, and at the Minneapolis conven-
tion he made the nominating speech for
Harrison.
In his early manhood Colonel Thompson
relinquished all hopes of political favor by
publishing book assailing the papacy He
knew what its effect would be, but threw
his chances to the wind for the sake of
his opinions. He never came before the
people for election, and only once after that
did he accept political Office That was
when he became member of Hayes's Cab
met.
When quite young Colonel Thompson en-
ha Of Iox
ticed successfully. Later he served on the
bench, and 1T was the general opinion
among lawyers that he was one of the best
posted men on law points in the State He
was credited with having advised President
William r. McKeen, of the Vandalia Rail-
road Company, at the time that property
passed into the hands of Henry S. Ives, the
young Napoleon of finance whose failure
for SIC, 100000 shook Wall street to it's very
foundations a few years ago.
John G. Williams was general counsel for
the railroad company at the time, and drew
up the agreement of sale. but an official of
the company was responsible for the state
ment that it was upon Colonel Thompson's
advice that provision was made for the re-
version of the property to McKeen upon
terms which not only protected him
against loss but enabled him to profit by
Ivess failure
The 'Old Man Eloquent" was the towns
man and contemporary of the late Senator
Daniel W. Voorhees,. A comparison of the
two would be almost impossible. They were
essentially different in all things. Their
tastes and habits We're as wide apart as 1t
would be possible for two men to be. They
differed in politics and religion, and in their
views on questions of political economy;
but they were broad-minded men, and were
friends to the day Of the senator's death
Thompson never went into politics for per-
sonal aggrandizement but rather studied
it as a science. Voorhees, was repeatedly
elected 10 Congress from what was for
many YEARS the Eighth Indiana district
and served several terms in the Senate
Colonel Thompson was passionately fond
of children, and there was scarcely a little
tot in his native town old enough to lisp his
name who would not run to greet him on
the street. The old man would stop and
kiss dirty-faced urchins. toss them to his
shoulder and trot along with them like
any schoolboy. He treated rich and poor
alike, and it probably was this trait of
character as much as any other that en-
deared him to the general public.