The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-02-15
a ..LighsDing-rod. Aneouots OF Lincoln.
TArnold's new Life of Abraham Lincoln

rArnold's new Life of Abraham Lincoln.
In 1886 Lincoln was again 3 candidate for
the Legislature, and in this CANVASS he greatly
distinguished himself. On one occasion
there was 10 be public discussion among
the opposing candida tes held at the Court
Loust al Springfield aud Lincoln, among
others. was advertised ~ speak This was
his first appearance Ion the stump" at the
County Seat. There lived st this time in the
most prete ntious house in the town prom
inent citizen with the name of George For
ouer. He bad been long in public life. had
been . leading Wing. the party 70 which
Linco belonged, bat had lately gone over
10 the Democrats and received from the ad-
ministrauon az appointment TO the lucra'
tive post OF Register OF the Land OHice st
Springfield. Unop his handsome new house
he had lately placed a lightning rod the
first one ever put up In Sangsmon County.
AS Lincoln was riding into town with his
friends they passed the foe house ofForquer.
and observed the novelty of the lightning
rod scussirg the manner in which it pro-
&c co IL house from being struck by light
ming
There we're seven Wing and seven Demo
clar, Indicates for the lower branch of the
Legislature and after several had spoken it
fell to Liz coin to close the discussion. He
did il with great ability. F0rquer, though
not a candidate, then asked 10 be heard for
was good speaker and well known through.
out the county. His special task that day
was to attack and ridicule the young man
from Salem. Turning 10 Lincoln. who stood
within a few feet of him, ne said: This
young man must be taken down, and l am
truly sorry that the task devoives upon me-"
be then proceeded, in very overbearing
way. and with an assumption OF great supe
riority, TO attack Lincoln and his speech
Lincoln, however, stood calm, but his
flashing eye and pale cheek indicated bis in
nation. AS soon as Fo-quer bad CLOSED,
l,e toe the stand and e ST answered his op-
pel t's arguments fully and triumphal tly.
30 il. pressivs were his words and manner
that a nearer believes that be an remember
TO this day, anG repeat some Of the exprs
sions Among other niDgs he said: The
gentlem an commence his speech by saying
that this Dung man, uding to me, must
be taken down. an got so young in ye RS
as 1 am in the tricks and trades of q polIti-
clan, but, said he, pointing to ForQuer, live
long or die young. would rather die now,
than, Ike the gentleman, change my poll
tics, and with the change receive an Office
worth three thousand dollars a year, and
then, continued he. 'Sh~n feel Obliged to
erect lighining-rod over my house to pro-
tect guilty conscience from an offended
God
It is difficult 10 day TO apprec st< the effect
on the cid settlers, of this figure. This light
ming rod Was the first which most of those
present mad ever seen. They had slept all
their lives in their cabins, in conscious Sc
curjty. Here wss man who seemed 10
those simple minded people u DC afraid to
sleep in his own house, without special and
extraordinary protection from Almighty
God. Those old settlers thought that moth
ing hut the consciousness of guilt, the stings
OF guilty conscience could account for such
timidity. Fo,quer and lis hghtning-rod
were talked over in every settlement from
Sau canon to the Illinois and the Wabash
Whenever he rose to speak thereafter, they
said There is the man who dares not sleer
in his own house. without lightning-rod to
keep off the vengeance of the Almighty