The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-01-13
THE SCHOOL OF EXPERIENCE.
A Story of Hard Times That Has Plain
Political Application.

To the Editor of the indianapolis Journal:
So many people of late have offered
through the columns of the Indianapolis
papers suggestions and plans for the relief
of the unemployed and suffering that VEN
ture to trespass your time to give my
views. 1 simply want to give the sore ex-
perience that the conditions of thirty years
ago found me in, and how l worked out of
them Born, raised and educated In the
South, 1, like many of the present unem-
ployed, listened 10 the so-called silver
tongued orators of that section and soon
found myself on the downward road to ruin.
Coming out of that struggle / was left fiat,
physically and financially. The first four
months after the close of the war my
father, sister and myself subsisted, most of
the time, on parched corn picked up from
the ground, where it had been fed TO Uncle
Sans cavalry horses; the rest of the time
we lived on bareback and salt meat in very
limited amounts, that had been left at diff
ferent camp grounds. It. however, kept
body and soul together until. by big efforts.
something else turned up. When my native
State was restored to it's civil rights the
first thing that greeted my gaze was an in
vitation from the same so-called silver
tongued orators soliciting my first vote. To
soothe my literally wounded person and
feelings and strengthen my Democracy, 1
was furnished literally with such copper
head sheets as the Lacrosse Democrat. Hav-
ing read somewhere that experience keeps
a dear school, but fools would learn in no
other" / concluded to throw off the collar
scribed with others views. and think and
act just a little for myself. This was
hard task, for 1 had no funds to buy in
formation with, as i did not have or possess
fiftV cents from Anril 1874 until the CnriDC
of 1867. Trusting to luck, drifted from one
thing to another until fortune one day
placed me where overheard two men, who
were prospecting in the South, talk freely
about the industries of what we people
South termed the North. Their genteel and
well-fed appearance kindled in my heart
desire to see that section that was being
pictured as being SO prosperous and happy;
but, on counting my dimes, l found them
other State where Northern capital was
building Il new railroad, obtained employ
ment, and after eight years of hard work
and close economy, saved enough TO come
West. Arriving here, / made no conceal
ment as to where l was from or the part
had taken. l was mistrusted by Democrats,
but given a show by those L had been
taught to curse and hate. For three years
l took no part in State or national politics.
1 wanted to learn, first, the true political
and social system of my new home. When
/ formed my opinion 1t was this: That,
whether a high tariff was right or wrong
it certainly Furnished ample employment d1;a
where factories existed. Laying aside M
old feelings and prejudices / concluded to
try and become good, useful and progress
sive citizen, carrying but one feeling in my
heart-that is, for America and her institu-
tons. AT the death of my father, in 1870,
sister and myself fell heirs to his estate
which consisted of old receipted bills, a ma
jority of them extending through periods of
good old Democratic low-tariff days; and
later on, the income taxes for war purposes
were collected. If any of your readers
would like to see these relics of false doc
trines, heresies and schisms, 1 will gladly
show them. / am not hard hearted or un-
feeling, and don't wish to be regarded as
recommending the hardships / passed
a firm believer in the teachings that the
Lord helps those who help themselves
l, with thousands of others, have worked
We were then, and now too proud.
Reflection taught us that as we had made
our own beds. we should rest them
when trying to down others we generally
down ourselves. This was the low senti-
ment that marked the campaign of 1892.
How much longer demagogues are to be
listened to is a question for settlement by
reason and not toi'chlight professions. 1
write this hoping others who are now in the
prompted to do their own thinking and act
ing in the future, remembering that the
golden text, by late practical revision, reads,
do others as they have done you"
RECONSTRUCTED.
H., w~1s To-,