The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-13

to his practical knowledge Of men, which
made him sometimes talk in formulate
which were actually cant phrases skillfully
strung together
Another man whom Shacklett liked to
hear talk was General French, who lived
in a district over on the Wabash river. not
far from where ex-senator Shacklett had
been wont to hunt coons, farm. attend
court and help conduct the affairs Of his
county General French was an elderly
man, who was accustomed to say to the
younger men:
Its different with me, you know. You
have the future to live for, but my life is
in the past, and whatever will be said in
history about me is already accomplished.
1 can't afford to build for the future as
you can, and you've many chances which
are behind me now"
This remark, often repeated, was pointed
in two directions. 1t called attention, with
proper pride and modesty. to the record Of
the general, and 1t suggested the idea that
the younger men could afford to keep out
Of his way, let him have his inning, and
then take theirs. He was so dignifed that
his remarks. although they would have
been bombastic many times IL spoken by
his heavy iron-gray mustache. which
adorned face round, wrinkled with good
humor. and soured by disappointment at
the same time. His countenance was beam
ing when he smiled, and almost haggard
when at rest-one of those faces that brave
men whipped by fate wear. His hair was
still thick, although gray, and added to his
dignity. and his fine physique made him a
man Of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS in any as
semblage. He had entered the civil war
as lieutenant, and in 1866 was a colonel.
He had been brevetted brigadier upon his
discharge. and was the specially honored
guest at every old-soldier reunion In his
part of the State. But he had been a wall
flower at every political ball since the war
ceased to be much of factor in politics.
The preacher fought the intangible force
because he believed it 20 be the highest
duty Of the hour; the general fought the
machine because he saw no chance of be-
coming even one of its small bevel gears
They were attracted by community of in
terest in at least the first thing to be ac-
complished-the downfall of the organiza-
tion-and they discovered that each ad-
mired Shacklett. In the conversation they
had in the beginning each failed to state
to the other what qualities in the ex-sena-
tor he especially liked; and if they had ex-
changed ideas on this point 1t Is probable
that events would have been shaped differ
entity and the conversation would have
broken up in discussion without either
being convinced. But they talked about
the things they did agree upon without
discovering the thing they disagreed upon,
and the conversation ended in a compact
between the minister. who preached poll
tics, and the soldier. who had been van
pushed by politics, to make an alliance
offensive and defensive for a common OBJ
ject.
There were trips over the State separate
ly, and meetings together at places where
railroad lines cross: there was much cor
respondence with others Of the opposition.
Finally there was meeting of half a hun
dred members Of the opposition-each with
different Interior object and each a leader
| in embyro-at which General French pre-
sided and recognized Rev. Thomas Barnes
to make the keynote speech. The result
| of this conference of the clans of the oppo-
| sition was that General French and Rev
| Thomas Barnes travelled from the place OF
| meeting directly to Warsaw, walked out
| to the Heights and had little conference
of their own with the railroad general
| counsel who was so completely out of poll
| tics that he felt that he would refuse an
| his neighbors.
To ~