The Democrats also carried the Legislature and elected nine out of thirteen Congressmen. It was a tidal wave, indeed. Indiana was getting ready for 1876.

On December 29th he delivered the address of welcome to the State Teachers' Association, which met in the hall of the Y. M. C. A. building, This was one of the most graceful of his shorter addresses.

The new Legislature did not adjourn without repealing the obnoxious Baxter law. The repealing statute, which became a law on the 17th day of March, 1875, was simply a license law-substantially the one in force to-day-and looked only to the regulation of the traffic, thus again following the suggestion of the Governor. The Legislature was, as has been said, Democratic, and Indiana Democrats were proud to follow when Hendricks led the way; indeed, as we have seen, even the Republicans, were not above adopting an occasional suggestion of this Democratic Governor.

The Assembly met on the 7th day of January, 1875. The Senate was organized by the Republicans and "Independents," and the House by the Democrats, the latter having a majority on joint ballot.

The Governor's Message was a remarkable document, as will be seen from the expression of the Journal upon this subject. That paper called it a "business-like document" and proceeded with its comments thus: "It is a lucid, orderly and succinct exposition of the details necessary to inform the Legislature of the subjects upon which and the circumstances under which it must act. It does not suffer by comparison with any state paper of like character with which we are acquainted. It leaves little that needed or suggested discussion overlooked; and notwithstanding the author's well known aversion to decided expressions on positive measures, is liberally furnished with recommendations, in which we think public opinion will concur. It is creditable to the State and to

the Governor, as showing not only a thorough mastery of our business, but of a clear and compact business style of statement." That is high praise, coming from a political paper whose business it was to find fault.

The session was a singularly barren one. The Fee and Salary bill failed, the Appropriation bills all failed, the temperance bill failed, the educational bill failed, and no tax levy was made. This inaction was due to the antagonism between the two Houses. The Sentinel, in an editorial fairly dividing the responsibility, uses the following language: "It has spent sixty days in fruitless debate, and has had the unparalleled impudence to adjourn without making the ordinary provision for carrying on the State Government."

Of course a special session was necessary, and it was called immediately upon the adjournment of the regular session. The Governor's message was brief but pointed. In five days the work that had been left undone was all completed, and the Legislature had adjourned. The Fee and Salary bill was passed, as was the License law repealing the Baxter bill, and on March 11th the act authorizing the construction of the new Insane Hospital building became a law.

There

Affairs ran along very smoothly during 1875. was no general election in that year, and the people were saving themselves for the great struggle in the following year. The paper money craze was sweeping through the West, and Indiana was not exempt from the ravages of the disease.

In September, Governor Hendricks made several speeches in Ohio, in aid of the Democratic State campaign, notably at Zanesville, in his native county, on the 3d, where Governor Allen, candidate for re-election, appeared with him, and the two Governors were honored with a serenade and unusual demonstrations of enthusiasm.

In October, the Commission of the proposed Centennial Exposition invited the Governors of the States to meet at Philadelphia, for the encouragement of the enterprise. At this meeting his address was well received. The Americus Club, taking advantage of his presence in their city, invited him to address them; and he gave them, October 22d, an able speech upon the political issues. of the day. It dealt very largely with the financial question, and pronounced clearly for resumption of specie payments, though criticising severely the bill of Senator Sherman. The speech was a very strong one, and was received with much enthusiasm. Governor Hendricks made a great many speeches and addresses during his term of office, and they were without exception most felicitous.

In February, 1876, Governor Hendricks visited the far South, and was warmly received at New Orleans, where he addressed a large audience upon political issues, foreshadowing the approaching campaign. This year Indiana, an October State, was the battle ground, and it was true to Hendricks. After an exciting canvass, James D. Williams was elected Governor over Benjamin Harrison, and in November the State went for Tilden and Hendricks by 6,000 plurality.

Early in 1877 Mr. Hendricks delivered his last message to the General Assembly,-a long paper, comprehensive and able, recommending, among other things, the erection of a new State House. Thus closed his Gubernatorial career. It had been a singularly good one, and the interests of the State had been most carefully looked after. The retiring Governor's strongest apponents were forced to admit the great skill with which the office had been conducted-and in nothing was this skill more clearly shown than in the very trying matter of pardons and they could not but respect the purity, integrity, patriotism and ability of Mr. Hendricks.

During most of his term as Governor, Mr. and Mrs. Hendricks lived in their own house, a substantial brick residence on Tennessee street, at the northeast corner of St. Clair. Their hospitality was generous and elegant without ostentation, and their own delightful social qualities gave them a popularity which mere official position would never have won. In the winters of the legislative sessions they entertained the members at dinner, and the members and the public together at fortnightly receptions, while the best people of the city thronged their rooms on all convenient occasions.

Mrs. Hendricks took great interest in her husband's work, and visited with him the penal and benevolent institutions of the State. Her observations and advice in regard to these were of great practical value. In 1875 her health absolutely required rest and change; so she spent three months with relatives in California, the longest period she was ever separated from her husband. In the summer of '76 they broke up housekeeping, and lived for a year or more at the Bates House, where, though not entertaining formally, they were easily accessible, and were as cordial to visitors as ever.

Mr. Hendricks was again a private citizen, and by the decision of the Electoral Commission, he was destined to remain in private life.

But he did not need office to make him great or happy; and so the eight years of his retirement, passed for the most part in his home at Indianapolis, were very pleasant years to him. He could afford to wait.

CHAPTER XVII.

THE CENTENNIAL YEAR.

Having received a majority of the Democratic electoral votes in 1872, Governor Hendricks became at once the recognized leader of his party in the whole country; while the fact that he was the first Democrat elected Governor of any Northern State after the war, added greatly to the prestige he had enjoyed at the time of the Convention of '68. He had made the first breach in the Republican lines; he alone had led to victory a division of the Democratic hosts, in the year of their national disaster. His pure and able administration of the State government was an earnest of what might be hoped from a Democratic national administration with Hendricks in the Presidential chair. His ability to organize and uphold his party was proved during his term as Governor. In '72 he was almost alone in his success, and it was said that his election was an accident. But in 1874, the middle of his term, the entire Democratic State ticket was triumphant, and it began to be seen that under his lead, Indiana was safely Democratic.

Had it not been for a remarkable train of events in the East, which possessed great dramatic interest and attracted the public attention to themselves in the years of his term, Governor Hendricks would probably have been nominated for the Presidency by acclamation in the next Democratic Convention.

The tendency of the people in the later decades to gather into the business centers, and the consequent