The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-07
OLD SETTLERS MEETING.
Four Thousand People Meet in Johnson
County to Talk Over Old Times.

the beautiful grove near this place TO attend the
''old settlers meeting" The Whiteland band,
than which there is no better in the State, called
the people around the stand at IL o'clock A. NJ,
and Judge F. M. Finch and Captain Wishard
spoke to the people until dinner time. After
dinner the immense audience reassembled close
about the stand, and Will Cumback, of Greens
burg, spoke for an hour, and held the closest at
tention of the audience. He spoke of the in
fuence of social life, and showed the philosophy
that all successful reforms began with the social
life of the people He then said:
These old settlers forcby remind us that
more than one generation has come, fulfilled the
work assigned them and have gone. These few
are left as relics of former times. While can
point to our increased locomotion, to our tele-
graph, to our telephone, to our improved ma
chinery in every direction, to our electric light
and many other evidences of progress, yet we
must not conclude that much better
than they, because in their life time all these
things have been done The civilization that
civilizes is that that makes man kinder and
nobler.
Let US take in all the surroundings before we
| indulge in boasting. We must look on the
debtor we'll as the credit side of the ledger of
| this age to get balance of the account What
evils have come with all this good? Waterman,
what of the night?
That these labor-saving machines and great
| and energy in the minds of men and put the
human race at work with all their might cannot
be doubted. Wealth has been placed in sight
and within the reach of all. In the struggle for
| riches men have forgotten their obligations and
duties. They have tossed aside all consideration
| for the public welfare and ignore ali claims
upon them as citizens in their anxiety to compass
their own personal aims They have left the
high and difficult task of good government to
the idlers and the vicious classes.
The notifies of the country is LARGELY in the
hands of those who care but little for law and
order. While the industrious man is
accommodating wealth, the tramp and the
vagrant is at the caucus or the
vote for. and the vicious fixing the policy
for him to accept and indorse. AS the worst
element in society are the most powerful and
positive forces in politics, are nomi-
mated for office with direct reference to securing
this vicious influence The supreme questions
for candidate to answer are not character or
qualification for the position, but can he get the
''b'hoys' to work for him, is good mixer, and
"a hustler" By this state Of things scarcely
secure second-rate men for President or Gov
ernor,- about third-rate men for Congress, and
for our State Legislature SO poor quality that
they cannot be rated, except they might very
properly be termed the vulgar factions of our
politics. There are individual exceptions. /
speak in general terms
You cannot secure good executive out of a
mere mixer" will a congress of
"hustlers' be of any service to the country and
a Legislature composed largely of men who
were candidates because they would "set em up"
to to the boys. will not do anything but deplete
the public treasury. They pass an appro-
priation bill in two days to secure their own pay,
but the appropriation bill to pay the expenses Of
the State institutions is such profound mystery
that sixty days is too short time TO comprehend
it, and they compel the Governor to call an extra
session so they may subsist for forty days more
at the public crib.
Va% tol1y -
reform-of ENGRAVING it on the dying and rotten
branches of our political system. The people
the very source and fountain of all political
power-must be reformed They must be brought
to that the best legacy they leave to their
children Is the rich blessing of good gov
ernment-better than gold, or stocks or bonds
To that end halt must be called in the hot pur-
suit for wealth, and time enough must be taken
to dislodge the hummer. to retire the mere
I'm xer" and discharge the hustler" in our
politics. The better elements must take Jh
control of our public affairs. We must have
bone, sinew and strong muscle in our political
virtue. They must put down lawessness,
force the good laws, and repeal all statutes that
were made for the benefit of political parties in
stead of the people.
1t were far better for posterity that the nst-
buttons of civil and religious liberty for which
our revolutionary fathers fought, bed and died
to establish and to preserve which our brothers,
with equal zeal and patriotism, went to the field
of carnage and death, when the recent attempt
was made to dissolve the American Union
I say it were far better for
inestimable gifts unimpaired than we should
leave them large sums of money To accomplish
this, every good citizen and patriot must turn
his attention to our politics. He will have to
study to comprehend his country's needs, and
then have the courage to compel his party to
accept policy that will reach that end
Here is work for the reformer. Here is fine
field for the patriot and the phianthropist Com
mence reform at the very bottom, and then build
up sure and strong. Awaken the consciences of
men. so that they will make the public interest
their interest Have the great controlling
masses as jealous of the reputation of the State
as they are of their own families. Let the great,
honest public heart be ambitious for the enact
ment of such laws will best subserve the
peace, happiness and prosperity of the greatest
number, and then see to it that they
forced
If the experiment of free government
should in the end prove failure it will not
prove that N an is not competent to govern him
SELF but that he failed to appreciate the import
ance of personal attention to the public welfare,
and simply neglected TO faithfully administer
the great trust given him. We inherit largely
our political opinions we do our physical form
and mental capabilities. This keeps alive politi-
cal parties One political party or the other has
the charge of, and is responsible for the mar
agement of the state Through these party
organizations the good is made to serve the
bad, for the reason that the evil is active while
the good is passive If the great monied monopo-
lies or the Liquor League select the
Legislature SO that the laws are
and to subserve private interests, it is but the
legitimate result of the Indifference of the better
elements of the party to their public duties.
Out of this Indifference comes the demagogue
with his foul breath and lying tongue, to SOW
the seeds of dscord and discomfort among the
ignorant which will yield the bitter fruit of law
lessness and anarchy. It is not the presence of
the demagogue that need create alarm but the cir
cumstance that makes his existence possibility
The true mission of the reformer is not to con-
fine his efforts to remedy the evils that appear
on the surface but TO go deeper and remove the
causes that produce them. skilled physician,
if he finds the body of his patient covered with
sores, will not give his whole attention to heal
ing these eruptons, but will undertake
to cleanse the blood and having