The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-10-07
A RUINED FUTURE.
A Young Indianaian's Vanity Blasts Life Of
the Highest Promise.
He says He was the Victim of a Deliberate
Conspiracy-He Did Not Mean TO be
Dishonest, hut Erred as All
People Do.

special to the sentinel.
WASHINGTON, October 2.-Assstant Attor-
ney General Nays recent trip. of which men
ton has been made, carried him through De
troit, Chicago and st. Louis, as well as a
great portion of Tennessee Somewhere upon
his travels, the locality, owing To promise,
will remain unrevealed, he run across young
HufIstetter who fell 10 pieces as Assistant
Secretary of the State Senate last winter.
According to Mr.. May. sweet prospects,
sweet birds and sweet flowers have
all lost their sweetness to this exile, and Mr..
Hufstetter is very unhappy. He is cursing
every member of the Investigating Commit
tee, particularly those who were most hu-
INFLATED by the disclosures. May, Willard,
and Smith, of Jay, were the Democrats of
the committee, if memory is correct. Il
was the only member whom he exonerated
of conspiring against him, and of course he
would include me if talking TO another"
said Mr.. May.
Though he drew warrants and forged sig
natures, he said he meant no harm. and the
report fixing guilt upon him was malicious
and has resulted in blasting a life of the
brightest promise.
There is exactly where Mr. HUffstetter
did not assure a satisfactory fruit. Upon
his own loveliness he dotted too much. The
pride of which satan fell was
part of his own growth. The mirrors
in the parlors of the Bates encour-
aged his self-esteem inordinately. His
absolute destitution of the saving grace of
humility, was enough 10 make the angels
weep. He imagined that lis shape, reputa-
tion, social excellence ard political inhu-
ence would atone for any irregularity, how
ever gross the offense might appear in pie
beian. lie did not, of course, mean to be
dishonest; he only erred, as all people do
who commit crime. in his estimate of popu-
lar intelligence. He avoided contemplating
the possibility OF discovery. He thought
the public mind near-slghted, color-blind
impotent quantity, easily deceived. No; at
heart perhaps HufiStetter is not bad. Vanity
i no doubt his largest vice; but he is very
foolish fellow. And to-day his course is en-
phasizing this trath: Though you bray a
fool in a mortar. as wheat with a postal, yet
will his folly, not depart from him" :"
Next to the stupidity of vast
I
is the criminal nonsense of hoping to eva1e
Justice 10y flight. The mountains can not
hide him nor foreign countries shield him
from discovery. What is the use of him
playing high tragedy in the shadows of
I strange places and blowing about his blasted
hopes and ruined future. A mans future is
never ruined save by his own free will and
accord. The Hutistetter of 1885, cspite any
previous mistake, has the power TO make not
| only respectable but very useful Huffstetter
| by the time 1885 comes around.
A temperate, industrious blacksmith will
| set up shop at the crossroads, and hammer
out better character than he ever thought
! of having. or rather than any reasonable
/ man ever thought ofimputing to Hufistetter,
/ i'm less than six months. The peo-
/ pie of Bedford know that he is not
/ aboriginally a knave; that his greatest
| guilt consists in being very little man and
/ very much peacock. His greatest misfo :
/ tune causing greater solicitude among his
intelligent friends than the fact that he
borrowed" money without the knowledge
or consent of the owners, is the fact that he
/ is wilfully ignorant of his real condition or
/ the extent of his guilt. Tie original crime
| that sent him lodging the law was insignifi-
cant in comparison To the ofsense of his pres
/ ent attitude. ! would not advise him Go
come back and take his chances with the
trustees, but having staid away this long let
him remain until that little affair has blown
| over. The coast clear, let him come into
] Court in the collation. of one W hose compost
| ton is innocent Of perversity, but conscious
OF his sin. A decent attrition and COM
! junction on his part that comport, with be-
coming mOdsty, will SO incline his neighbors
/ to mercy that cheerful and complete for
| giveness Will be awarded Huffstetter's father
was model pioneer of Lawrence County, a
man of many virtues, who conquered a COM
! petcnce from an unbroken forest, knew much
/ of public life and became universally ac-
knowledged a leader The old man was q
| philosopher. and learned to live in comfort
within his means. This to him was a faith
and a creed
TO catch Dame Fortunes golden smile,
Asiduous wait upon her,
| And gather gear by ev'Ty vile
| That's justified by honor.
/ Not for to hide IL in a hedge.
Nor for a train attendant,
But for the glorious privilege
OF being Independent"
Huffstettcr the second should study Huff
stetter the first. 1t will conduce to his own
advantage and largely profit the community
| in which he chooses to reside. JAP TURPEN.