The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-02
GEN. HARRISON'S STORY
AMUSING INCIDENT USED TO INTRO
DUCE EX-SECRETARY NOBLE.
Purdue Students Listen to a Lecture
ON E'RelatiOns of Railroad Cor
pOratiOns to the Public"
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
LAFAYETTE, Ind, Dec. General Har-
rison and ex-Secretary of the Interior Noble
visited Purdue to-day. Mr.. Noble came
specially to address the students on 1.-THE
Relations of Railroad Corporations to the
Public and General Harrison accompanied
his old friend. giving him an introduction
TO the crowd of students and visitors that
put every one in a happy frame of mind.
President Smart first introduced General
Harrison who began by relating the fol-
lowing incident from his own experience:
Il have sometimes been the orator, where
the duty of Introduction deVolved on man
whom L had previously thought to be my
friend. have sometimes suffered fromSthe
effect as the person who was to do the iin-
Producing has sometimes miSconceived the
situation, and thought he was TO make the
speech rather than l. am not gong 70 ran
into that mistake to-day. Once in southern
Indiana, in a campaign, l was told there
was a gentleman holding the audience for
my arrival, and when we came down to the
platform, and the little stir that was made
advised him Of my presence, he turned ana
said:
dress you is now present, and must bring
my remarks to close.
However it was not convenient for him
to close just then, and he went on After
half hour he reminded that was
there, and he again reminded the audience,
in turn that the distinguished orator was
present, but still he had not found hitting
place to close
"At first | was out of temper, but pres
emily the humor Of the situation got hold or
me- and / interposed to prevent those nav
ing the meeting in charge from putting MIN
down, said to these gentlemen t9at
ance l ever attended, although 1t was not
billed as such. Laughter) He went on
speaking until the drums were Deatlns 70
assemble the peOple who were there ana
who were going home, and didn't make a
speech at all. , ~,
bic q gentleman with whom was not very
much acquainted when asked MN 10 taxi
up his laborious portfollo OF the in iueln.
Department at Washington; a gentleL1alli
with whom / became very well acquainle9
in the four years of our close personal anu
official intercourse. The impressions tI Ia
by these years of personal contact. lie was
most intelligent, public-splTited, conscien-
tious and devoted public officer and left
record in his department of which l was
proud and Of which he ought well TO be
proud. He is here to speak to these young
men this morning, and he will give you
words of instruction, for the youths OF our
land are about the only ones that 1t does
any good to talk to. The, grown people
are either saved or spoiled already, ana
you can't do much with them. CAP
plause)
General Mobiles address was largely de-
voted to the questions of railroad indebted
ness and capitalization, and he argued that
the practice of watering stocks, manipula-
ton of stock markets and the forcing or
weaker companies into the hands of re-
ceivers was an objectionable violation of
every corporate obligation. The speaker
contended that the writ of injunction issued
to prohibit a lawless attack on property
was an efficient process of law to secure
at least a fair hearing on the merits of
case and prevents the destruction in adj
vance of the very central right to be
brought before the court for it's considera-
ton and determination. Injunction, he de-
wisdom, and it was entitled to confidence
as a means of administering justice. The
plea for trial by jury at such d time, he
said, would be akin to that which would
disarm the state from protecting its courts,
it's mails, its treasury or any of it's prop
erty, by its own right hand, and compel
it to wait the consent of it's constituents,
whether States or citizens.