Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 November 1885 — Hendricks, Voorhees and McDonald. [ARTICLE]

Hendricks, Voorhees and McDonald.

Shelhy Democrat: In perusing he Evansville Courier and scanning the writings of its versatile editor, we are frank to say that his productions indicate a genius of high-toned j urnalistic acquirements, and display a talent capable of wielding a beneficent influence upon the waves of political opinion when rightly directed. They also show that he is possessed of an equally brilliant talent for producing ingenious sophistries in support of an unjust cause, a dogmatical opinion or personal whim, when prompted so to do from a spirit of revenge, disappointment or political isolation. That Mr. Shanklin’s warfare upon Messrs. Hendricks, Voorhees and McDonald can be maintained only by the machinations of the educated sophist, needs but the slightest investigation, the merest inquiry and an honest criticism. Mr. Shanklin says he has no fault to ffnd with these great leaders, no desire to pluck a laurel from their merits nor the least desire to lessen the unbounded appreciation of these great men in the hearts of Indiana Democrats; and yet he says they ought to retire, and that their leadership is not complimentary to the intelligence of the Indiana Democracy. May the Democrat ask why ? Have they not kept the Democratic faith, championed the doctrines of the purest Democratic political economy, advised our people properly of the course they should go on all great questions of political importance at every struggle the party h s passed through; and have they not performed their parts nobly, faithfully and with unswerving fidelity to the Democratic cause ? Have they lost any of these virtues ? Have they violated the Democratic decalogue? If they have, as pubi c men, criticise them. The Democrat believes that leadership in political parties is not a gift of the people, but is the popular trend of dependency toward the superior and sagacious intellects of a party, State or Nation. That offices may be given these men, for the faithful performance of which they are held accountabl . That their public acts, either as leaders or officers, are subjects of criticism. That the usefulness of every great man belongs to the people of his country, and that the demand of oue man that any great leader shall stop leading—stop thinking, stop giving his opinion on questions of public interest, stop advising his party or its people, stop breathing as a man of brains, is not only futile, arrogant and impudent, but it is idiotic. Men may be retired from office by the suffrage of the people, even while they .are incompetent to fill the places, but leadership ca._ be retired only by the laws of nature, the loss of capability, the violation of the people’s covenants and by death. A great man is a great man so long as he iives, even tho’ he lose h s friends, his credit, his honor; but the influence of a great man who has his honor, his credit and his intellectual vigor, lives in the hearts of his people as long as the man -ives, and when he dies the memory of his acts, the teachings of his life, his themes, politics and doctrines, will serve his followers as golden pathways thro’ the wilderness of social, civi? and political strife. The Democrat believes tha ; an honest criticism, properly made, where necessity demands it, is the noblest work of the press, as it helps to correct the errors and shape the politics of the country; but an arrogant dethronation of popular leadership from personal motives of a disgruntled officeseeker, is reprehensible and contemptible in the eyes of all lovers of justice. The Democrat would say to its worthy contemporary, the Courier, if you have any criticism to make on the conduct of any public man, or any private grievances to redress, do it like a fair-minded man; but don’t undertake the impractical, arrogant and idiotic task of reading them out of

the party b cause of their physical vivacity and mental endurance. Hendricks, Voorhees and McDonald, whom you now seek to destroy, have lived with us half a century, formed part of one great family, cultivated a kindly feeling for the brotherhood, and no small effort will tear them from the hea ts of a great .people of which they are a part. As men, either individually or politically, they stand untarnished, unsullied, pure and noble.'— No State ever produced three greater, nobler and manlier men than Hendricks, Voorhees and McDonald. To-day the name of Voorhees is a tower of strength and a definition of a peerless statesman. Hendri ks—why the very hills and dales support an atmosphere frei’ted with love, respect and admiration over every inch of Indiana soil. The air seems purer when vibrating the names of Hendrick’s, and Joseph E. McDonald is the synonym of old honesty. “Old Saddle-bags” is the common property of all Indiana, beloved by the rich and idolized by the poor. His words are wise, safe and sagacious. No one doubts his ability, questions his integrity or impugns his motives. Long have these devoted leaders borne tne brunt and burthen of the party’s struggles; upon their shoulders have the imaginary mistakes of the party been heaped, and every self-constructed statesman who fails to meet recognition at the seat of justice hurls contumely at them and upbraids them for- failing to accomplish what the Creator failed to accomplish—to give the applicants brains. The lives of great men, however pure and successful, are not beds of flowers. As Hamlgtjays in Shakspeare— ' For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, The oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s con tumely. The pangs of despised love, the law’s delay The insolence of office, a d the spurns That patient njerit of the unworthj takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin. But realizing the worth of these great men, knowing their value to the party and the people of the Nation, notwithstanding the ills they suffer at the hands of disaffected scoffers, we are not yet willing +o give them up, and our love for them and the good of the party Makes us rather be r the ills we have. Than flv to others we know not of.

The following, from Senator Voorhees, is proper and to the njint: United States Senate, 1 Washington, D. C., Nov. 16,’85. J W. S. Ray, Esq., Shelbyville, Indiana: Q My Dear Sir. —Please accept my very sincere and heartfelt thanks for your generous, kind and manly tone in connection with the assaults made upon me by the Courier, at Evansville, Indiana.— Whatever faults I may have, ingratitude to friends is not amongst them I may fall very far short, and often do, m showing in a substantial way my appreciation of those to whom lam attache!, but I never do, in the susceptibility of my heart, to their kindness. “The Shanklins” are base metal —counterfeit coin—false presentments of gentlemen. These are strong words; but I measure them, and utter them, knowing their truth in the light of my conduct toward the Shanklins. While they were here for many w eks, last spring and summer, I bestowed upon them more personal courtesies, gave them more of my time and of my labors for them and their friends, than any other two men who have ever been here from Indiana. I did so cheerfully and in no stinted way. They had the confidence of my political thoughts, methods and purposes. There was not a recommendation for office on my part at that time with which they were not familiar. Mr. Gilbert Shanklin desired to go Switzerland in an official capacity, and I earnestly and warmly recommended him by let er and in person. Mr. Gray, his protege desired to go to Honolulu, and I never made a more earnest and exhaustive effort for any ne than I did for

him. The fact that neither of these gentlmen were appointed was no fault of mine, and, indeed, was a disappointment to me. 1 hey arc now denouncing my want of influence; possibly it was their own want of merit, to which, in my friendship for them, I was at the time blind. At any rate, it does not become them, after being the r-cipients of ever’, kindly office on my r.art, to assail me now with brutality and falsehood. I learn that they assume to be deeply incensed at the appointment of Mr. Hanlon as collector of our collection district. Their sincerity in this may be judged by the fact that they expressed to me, before his appointment was made, their cordial approval of the same, and that in my presence and in the presence of others Mr. Gilbert Shanklin congratulated Mr. Hanlon on his appointment. I think the most potent reason for the h stility of these pompous asses to me, however, lies in the fact that I refused to viol '. i. well known rule between a Senator and his colleagues in the other house, and to act dishonorably toward Mr. Kleiner, the Represe tative from the First District, in the appointment of a postmaster at Evansville. I would not have broken faith on that or any other subject on which my faith had been given, to preserve my seat in the Senate. I have written you much more fully on this subject than I had thought I would to any man, but I have found heretofore that lies and false impressions can out-travel the truth unless truth takes a pretty even start, and I do not intend that the truth shall be muqh behind in this case. When Igo to the rear in the Democratic party in Indiana, it will be in obedience to the voice of that great people in whose service I have been honored so long, and not at the behests of weak, arrogant, unprincipled pretenders. I claim nothing for my services, and no rank in the Democratic party of Indiana, except tlmir confidence in my intigrity of purpose, and in my fidelity to them; but those who think they have an easy task in destroying all that I have in this world— my name and my reputation for fidelity to party, principle and friends—will not find it idle work.

These plain, frank words have been elicited by the generous spirit in which you have spoken of me and others, such as Hendricks and McDonald, and they are hot written to you under any seal of confidence. The use of them, if usq there may be, is at your own good judgment and discretion. Begging to be remembered very kindly to all beneath your roof, I am as ever, very faithfully your friend, D. W. Voorhees.