The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-05-03

The Tendency Of the Age to yalgarism
and Sham.
The Parade, Pretenss and Power OF Par
venus.
I Boston Herald

marvellous social transformation of the
times and the universal race for wealth
which charscterizes the strugglings of to-day
than the endeavor on the part of people in
humble positions in life to ape the conduct
and mode of living of what I don't often.
sively call their superiors No man recog-
nizes more thoroughly than that rank is
but the guinea's stamp, aud "a mans a man
for a that" but for a that there is a great
difference between being well born and we'll
bred and lowly born and i'll bred; so great a
be absurd to any man of common sense. 1
believe in evolution, and America has
no greater glory than the fact that
the poor can here become rich. the ignor-
ant learned, the humble OF conse luence that
the tatboatDan of thirty years sgo became,
by his own unaided energy and Intelligent
q director of affairs q hundred times q mill
ion aire, a builder of roads, the master of
transportation; that the humble bsrmaid' of
thirty years ago, following and sharing the
fortunes and progress of her husband, had
the pleasure before she died OF seeing her
daughter lead society's merriest dance and
her son take his place unchAilenged among
the princes OF finance; that the miserable,
drudging pedier of forty years ego, by per-
sistent industry and perseverance,, laid the
foundations OF an imperial fortune, 30 that
his direct descendants to day are recognized,
at home and abroad, as fit to share the hos.
FATALITIES OF the first. to interchange thought
with the best informed, and to take part in
the advancement and improvement OF their
times. These possibilities these certainties
are among Americas chief glories, bat that's
not what / mean. In the mad. greedy tussle
ard aIrw u IL.
de cade is developing class of man for whom
the gods must mold EXTREMIST adherence.
That this takes hold of the whole structure
OF society is clearly evidenced by the fact
that the record of this week shows the CON-
viction OF bank president, the indlctme 1T
OF builder, the shameful disclosure of the
administrator of an estate, and
MALFEAsANCE IN OFFICE,
% gross as to render the offenders liable to
the grsvest censure of the press aud the most
copdign punishment known to the civil law
In oiden times what position required man
OF sturdy honesty more absolutely than the
prt sidency of bank? Years of satisfactory
REP ute, lifetime of unblemished character,
honesty on all fours. with conscience. To be
. bank preside Mt was eouiv alent to universal
recognition as an OF lrddencs, discre.
ton, cons ervatism.'U f absolutely unimpeach-
able integrity, VIII word was as good rs
his bond, and his b0Id as satisfactory as a
law Of the universe itself. Run your mind
through the thriving towns of New Engla1d.
Call back from the days OF your youth the
main street in the place of your birth, with
its one bank. Remember ,he president of
that bank. How universally he was tru sted.
How unquestionaoly his conclusions were
accepted as final. How readily into his Gus.
tody were given the funds OF your pa-eots
end your neighbors. / often wonder when
in court at the extreme deferen &c paid by
men of brains. intelligence aud experience,
to the nlncompoops who at times sit upon
the bench. We have had judges known to
be corrupt, Judges whose practices in private
life were utterly undiscloseable at any "a n
lily ciicle; judges whose presence in ones
home would have been considered an
sfront to the woman who presided
therein and to the children who
clustered about its board. To-day Wa
have judges upon the bench placed there by
reason of political complication and for rsa.
sons OF expediency, who are no more fit tn
be there mentally than would be fis to run
the finances of the country; yet in the pres.
ence OF these men the ablest lawyers in the
land, men of irreproschabie character, coun.
selloIs OF discretion and wisdom, bow and
scrape and smirk and bega Hindoo does
before his little god. / have often wondered
why this was so, and | remember coming to
this satisfactory conclusion. These eminent
lawyers began as clerks. II was their custom
TO carry papers to the court for signature.
Their study was the law and its practice.
What
BUMP OF REVERENCE
they had Was developed in recognition OF the
! over that exists in the land and finds its
e. ponent upon the bench, and little by lit
tie, as they grew, this bump grew aud devel-
oped, UNTIL becoming men, they find the n
selves with all the prejudicas. with all the
habits and traditions of the legal dummery
poten with them. and they can't help them
selves. That's all. And as il Is with the
law SO this habit of thought in respect TO
the chiefs of finances: grew and grew upon
the people, until every where the man who is
at the head OF a bank was regarded as expo
Eent of honor and igh toned business NOR.
aliiy. How have the mighty fallen | was
in court one dsy this week. when that par
ticulsIly infamous scoundrel. Fish, president
of the Marine Bank, was on the stand. and
this train OF thought occurred to me. There
sits a man who has been trusted with mill
ions and millions and scores of millions of
other peoples property, aud his record shows
that mis- course was that OF a swindlsr from
first TO last. His face shows IL. Hts expires
sion shows It. His bnlging forehead, his ut
tie pig eyes, his c0Dcaye nose, bis Uriah
HeepishDess OF neutrality-suspicious. II
seems to me, about him would indi-
cate a man not 70 be trusted the
least OF ALL q man esDecially to be sslscrsd
IS president of bank ia the city of New
YorE. He was rich. but he wanted more,
and he sought 70 dove-tail his official psi
ticn president of a bank in which ths-e
were millions with the business OF Grant &
Ward, in which he was q special partner
1t has become upfashionabie in New York
to talk about the Affairs OF Grant Il Ward.
ard people hereabont wanld be very el<d "
they could change the frm name TO Fish x
Ward. Some day all this will be cHangei
Some dsy the facts will ne permitted u see
he light at present fraDciers are imita
ing policy of reiicerca, nov afDpte by
Grants cancer doct t., 8 policy which Ii
would have been well TO initiate in the be-
ginning OF the great Generals troubles, for
the tongue Is an unruly member and ia very
apt to in olive reople who Use il freely in en-
bsuassment and vexstion OF spirit. Win
out at present entering into disc1ssioa Of
the Grant part OF Grant K Ward, aud with
out seeking 10 provoke any dscn sion rs 70
what Grant meant by the letters re wrote n
various parties IL reference 10 government
contracts. | utilize MT Fish ss the present.
conspicuous illustration OF a bad msn, hol g.
ipe most important trust ST the head OF a
great institution, where he was making