The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-05
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
Letter from Hot Springs, Ark.

TO the Editor Of the Indianapolis Journal:
The number of visitors at this santarium ex-
ceeds anything in its previous history, and one
cannot walk the streets without meeting crowds
Of people as though he were in great CONNER
cial city. Why there should be such vast col
lection just as this time, and so few in the sum-
mer and fail seasons, passes my comprehension.
Now it is with difficulty the visitor secures ac-
commodations at the hotels, but before June
closes he can have choice of rooms, and the
place will be clad in summer dizziness. The
people who come here are an interesting study
and no where does human nature display Itself
in greater variety. IL it be true, as Pope said
that 1.-THE proper study of mankind is man., then
here is an excellent place to pursue the subject
The great strike on the Gould system OF rail
roads, which seriously threatened the complete
isolation of this place, is over, though the en-
ployes have submitted and returned to thelrd duty
with sullen reluctance to await the proposed ar
bitrament. 1t is gratifying to know that Master
Workman Powderly has shown SO much prudence
and good sense throughout the whole period OF
disturbance His head has been level from the
start, and even the great monopolist. who said at
first that he would never arbtrate, came to
terms at last. Jay Gould, though he is credited
with great shrewdness and certainly pos
sesses great wealth, might learn wis
dom from master mechanic 1t
is difficult to see why arbitration should have
been so vehemently opposed by the railroad au-
thorities. If there was in fact no grievance, as
they claimed, then the duty of the arbitrators
would have been discharged by an avowal that
there was none, and thus ended the disturbance.
1t is to be hoped that the example set In this
case may be followed in the future and the coun-
try saved from similar exhibitions of lawless-
ness. Nearly the whole month OF March has
been occupied with the strike and the people
have suffered quite as much as the transporta-
ton companies.
The ST. John Prohibitionsts, who have struck
for third party which the great fraud can sell
out to some other party when an opportunity
offers, might learn wisdom from Powderly and
the strike. If they would propose to arbltrate,
probably other good temperance men might con-
sent to meet them, and agree that an effort
should be made to pass a law by the next Legls-
lature which should provide that the evils re-
sulting from the use of ardent spirits should be
taught in our common schools to the children.
All agree that impressions made on the young
are the most enduring, and surely some time
might be given by teachers to this subject.
Every well-informed person must know that IN
less public sentiment is first educated to that
standard, prohibition is mere boomerang
whether IN the law or Constitution Of the State,
and every truce hurts the temperance folks
much worse than the liquor seller The num-
Der of habitual drunkards who permanently re-
form is so small that it seems useless to pass
laws for them, but if the children In our public
schools are properly instructed, both by parents
and teachers on this subject, there is hope of a
public sentiment, but without it there
is none. NJ L. BUNDY.
Hot SPRINGS. Ark, March 81.