The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-17
PREMIER COMBES, HATED
BY RELIGIOUS ORDERS,
TELLS STORY OF HIS LIFE

CONCLUDED FROM PAGE !, PART p
ger / believe. After returning from
wedding trip / took leave of my pupils to
study medicine. Reflect what that meant.
1 had already earned a reputation
pedagogue and scientist, brilliant career
was before me; dozen learned institutions
offered me lucrative employment, yet L
had to go back and begin all over again.
MY young wife and self went to Paris.
When my famed treasure was gone, / &C
copied a job as assistant teacher in sec
ond-rate school in order to have leisure to
attend the university. From 8 o'clock In
the evening until midnight L studied chem
istry, anatomy, physiology and the rest.
At o'clock / again rose and commenced
where i had left off. Yet, strange to say,
never felt the loss of sleep. L firmly believe
In the maxim that success comes to the
early riser.
WENT BACK TO THE SMALL TOWN.
when, after years of hard struggle,
was a full-fedged sawbones, / went back
to Pons and established myself in a little
house, which to this day bears a sign with
my name. The second empire was on Its
last legs then, but the people of Pons
would not have 1t SO. 1 had the greatest
difficulty starting a small Republican club.
for in my heart Of hearts L was always a
Republican. But / was no politician then
] was far too busy with my patients.
botany and kindred subjects.
I'm the late sixties I became interested
in the establishment of a railway promis-
ing TO materially increase the wealth of our
section. L pushed the project with ac-
customed energy and succeeded. Among
the promoters happened TO be some anti-im-
perialists, which sufficed for the accusation
In the local papers that l was Jacobin.
I was not, and said so over my signature
in language admitting Of no two mean
ings.
Result: My fellow-citizens made me a
municipal councillor. More newspaper talk,
L
tails got caught in the political machinery
and had to follow, body and soul Sept.
4, 1870. saw me mayor of Pons; next L be-
came member Of the Council General,
then senator.
There you have the story Of my life,'
concluded the prime Minister. rising.
And may / ask you a question or two,
Mr.. PRESIDENT" 1 asked
Go ahead" replied NJ. Combes in Eng
lish, for he is a master of all languages.
Did you relnquish your belief in the re-
ligion of your fathers without conscientious
scruples7 Did you not suffer when severing
the ties that bound you TO the church,"
THE separation was entirely spontaneous.
There was no violent disruption. My re-
ligious belief died natural death, so to
speak"
And is it true that you hate the priests? %
1T is not" he said. "for to say that is an
abominable lie. Did your great American
statesman who decreed the separation of
church and state perform this duty from
motives of rancor? No. thousand times
no! They acted for the best of both church
and state. Personally | esteem the cloth
and value each priest for his worth as
man and public official. There are a num-
Der Of priests whom L esteem from the bot
tom of my heart"
Then you do not identify yourself with
the fanatics among your adherents?'
There are fanatics on both sides AS
for myself. L have always been associated
with reason. Unreasonable men and teach
ings and things have nothing TO do with. -
HELOISE COMTESSE D'ALEMCOURT.