The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-04
Criminal Court.
Hon. Pierce Norton. Judge.
To-day-Scate VS.. MITCHELL; on trial.
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
Slender Threads.

slender threads.
To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journai:
Well hath the poet said: ION what a slender
thread, hang everlasting things, sometimes
There is an old English story, which dates away
back to the time of the conflicts between con-
tending factions known, in history as the war
Of the Roses, which runs about thus: The
White Bose wished to send an important dis
patch to the army on the eve of a battle. 1t
would admit of no delay, bat when the feetest
horse was brought out it was discovered that one
shoe was loose. a single nail might hold il, but
there was no time to spare for mailing on loose
shoes, so he started. In a short time the loose
shoe came of, then the horse became too lame
to travel. The rider, with his dispatch. was
captured. and the battle went against the White
Rose. This incident is told in English legends
thus: For the want of a nail the shoe was lost,
for the want of q shoe the horse was lost, for the
want Of a horse the rider was lost. for the want
of a rider the dispatch was lost, for the want Of
the dispatch the battle was lost, and by the loss
of the battle a kingdom was lost-all for the
want of a nail" Just such little things, involv-
ing great things. are of daily occurrence. Dur
ing those stormy days in New York politics
which Immediately followed the resignation of
Mr.. Conkling, there was to be a conference of
leading Republicans at the house of Vice-presi-
dent Arthur one Sunday. Governor Cornell had
been invited and had promised to be present.
In order to meet the engagement he must leave
Albany at $3.50. He wound up his alarm clock;
setting it at $50, and gave his servant strict
orders to be sure to call him at that hour. The
servant did not hear the alarm, Governor Cor
nell was not awakened, and did not meet in the
conference. Owing to his absence, against
what would have been his advice, Mr.. Conkling
became a candidate for reelection, was defeated,
became sour and in consequence local politics
took a shape that resulted in the election of Mr..
Cleveland. Now all this will be epitomized, a
thousand years hence about thus: For the want
of awakipg the servant did not call the Governor
on time, for the want of being called on time the
Governor did not 60 to the conference, for the
want of the Governor at the conference Mr..
Conkling became a candidate and was defeated;
because he was defeated he became sour and
sully; because he sulked Cleveland carried New
York; because Cleveland carried New York the
Democratic party came into power; and because
the Democratic party got into power the rebel
brigadiers took possession of the government,
Union soldiers were turned out of Office, banks
broke, times grew hard, and had not the people
taken timely alarm, and reversed things at the
very next election. the whole country would
have gone irretrievably to the bad, and all be-
cause Governor Corneils hired man failed to
hear the alarm and wake the Governor in time
to take the 6:30 train to New York. On such
slender threads hang everlasting things. very
often. II. L. SEE.