The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1875-12-14

Wilson, when he was only ten years old
was apprenticed-or, as the New Eng-
land phrase is, "bound out" to farm
er of his native town. What treat
ment he experienced in this, the only
early homo he knew, is not recorded.
We know in general that the lot OF
sbound" children, in those days. was
universally regarded as hard and pitt
able. Only the poorest OF the poor
would consent to put their children
thus absolutely in the power OF others.
Usually they had nothing to expect but
hard work, scanty food and many
blows. i am not aware that Mr.. Will
SON ever complained. in later years, OF
cruel treatment when he was boy; but
il is a suspicious circumstance that,
during the eleven years OF his appren.
ticeship, he was sent to school but
twelve months in all. All that conld
be done TO starve his soul apparently
was done. Perhaps, however, the
farmer gave the lad such advantages
as he himself had had in his youth; Tor
the standard of education in the noun
tain towns OF New Hampshire fifty or
sixty years ago was by no means high.
II would seem that Henry Wilson made
the utmost of his scanty opportunities
for acquiring knowledge. Having 40
cess to q private library in the neigh
borhood, It is said that. during the
eleven years of his service. he read IN
telligently several hundred volumes,
chifiey OF history, travels and biogra-
ply. This almost incredible amount
of reading was mostly done Mt night.
while others were sleeping.
Mr.. Wilson was never ashamed OF
his early poverty and struggles. Long
after his name had become household
word throughout the United States, In
deed SO late rs February, 1872. In an
addrcs Mt Great Fails, y. II. he allud-
ed in the following manly and pathet-
ic terms to his unfriended boyhood and
youth: 81 left my home at ten years
OF age, and served an apprenticeship OF
eleven years, receiving a months school
ing each year; and at the end OF eleven
years of hard work, yoke OF oxen and
six sheep, which brough me eighty-four
dollars. never spent the amount OF
one dollar in money, counting every
penny from the time l was born until
/ was twenty-one years OF age. 1 know
what il is to travel weary miles, and
ask my fellow men to give me leave to
toll. remember that in October 1888,
walked into your village. from my ma
tive town, and went through your mills
seeking employment. / went to Sal
mon Falls, L went to Dover, | went to
New Market, and tried to get employ,
rnent but without success. i returned
home footsore and weary; but not dis
couraged,. put my pack on my back, and
walked to where l now live in Massa
chusetts; and there learned a mechsn
ic's trade.
/ do not envy that man his heart
who can read this without a choking
sensation in his throat. The futur'
senator and Vice Pesident OF tho Unit
ed States walks into the village OF Nat
ick. carrying his little earthly ALI upoI
his shoulders. There hc is promoted
to n shoemakers bench. Three year
he plies the awl and the hammer, lay
ing ND with a misers care, his httl
earnings. In his twenty-fourth yea
he throws aside his lapstone, and plac
ing the small sum he had accumulated
in safe hands, as he supposed, he spen
some time in the academies OF Stafford
wolsboro, aud Concord; but his caree
, as a student was cut short by the los
OF his money, through the insoivenc
. of the person to whom he had entrus'
, ed it. SO in 1888 we find him again O
Natick, to all appearance shoe make
|, for life. But his intellect had bee
! auickened; he began to be recognize
! by his neighbors as a remarkable shoe
maker. With large information an
fluent speech; he was prominent In tn
q village Debating Society. Besides b
!. was perfectly temperate, and free frol
a the vices to which shoemakers,i In thos
= times were especially addicted.
/. When the great political campaig
a OF 1910 opened, Henry Wilson suddel
4 ly sprung into notice as one OF IL
. most effective speakers in the Stat
: The great tidal wave Of that year n,
n only made Gen. Harrison President
= the United States, and carried tho Ma
- ick shoemaker into the Legislator
y Thus he set his foot upon the hr
q round OF the ladder, and he new
"a stood lower. We find him in no lor
a tine speaker Of the House; then Sta
Senator; and at length in 1855, he is {
!. ected to the Senate OF the Unit
~ States. Thus the"bound boy" OF M
|! Hampshire, the shoemaker Of Matte
= becomes the peer OF Webster, Cls
!. Everett. Calhoun and Seward; and
,. the early age OF forty-three.
"A And it was all done honestly, hont
ably, purely. Never did he empl
y. money to procure political prefermer
~ he had no money to employ. He v
"A poor at the beginning Of his career;
=. continue poor; he died poor. He M
90 er bought vote; he never bribed m
,h TO his support by the promice OF Off
:, he never condescended either TO Il
~ tery or intimidation. He. was not
lv cunning man. delighting in conce
:: ment. in indirection, in intrigue.
- was no diplomist. He was utterly .
bo like that celebrated English politiciI
n of whom il was said that he could |
~ even carve a cabbage without steal
mn TO il from behind, like an Ind
from ambush. Neither was Hel
~ Wilson a brilliant orator. He was
L. fectiye because convincing; but he
IN without the grace OF Everett, the gra
a. eur of Webster, the magnetism OF Cl
% or the learning, copiousness and 10
al. of Sumner. How then did he rise
All position Of such eminence? And
an. did he so long maintain himself in I
,,. position?
TIL First, he was n man Of the peol
lis. His peculiar training brought him
an the closest sympathy with the toll
ing millions of his brethren. Born
nurtured in poverty, associating In
;,,n early years with men and women
r. earned their bread in the sweat oil q
10 browr, knowing by experience the pr
,h tions and hardships incident TO su'
W. lot. he carried thetoiling, strugg
~ masses in his heart: what wonder
4. they carried him in theirs? He
m; for them, net serene, condescenS
, - pity, but fraternal respect and affect
"a He knew their virtues; he apprecl
o. ther intelligence; he understood I
3 '3na modes OF thought; he never cease
~. feel that he was one Of them.
~ This sympathy with the tot
~. masses is very different from the s,
LIE mental compassion sometimes ind
poI ed in by rich and cultured people,
s ss,an make philanthropy luxury a.
,'e graceful accomplishment. IL di
vet more widely from the loud mer
III; n ary zeal OF the vulgar demagogue,
,,ss E wins cheap laurels by grandiloqr
49,. harangues on the rights Of labor
AZ evils OF poverty, and the intolei
ror. wrongs OF the working classes.
can Henry Wilson's early experience
clined him from the first TO every u
a., ure which promised TO elevate n
- boring millions, and better their