Daily Republican., 1881-09-30
GARFIELD'k GREATNESS.
The Secret Of His Succ osS from the
TOW.path to the White House.

The secret of Gartield's great sue.
cess in life, Of hi, culture, Of his
learning, and OF his growth in states
| manship was disc oseu in brief speech
| to the students OF Hiram College, de-
ivered many years ago by the Gener-
AL and reported from memory by the
Cleveland correspond, Mt of the Fri ribuue,
July 3, 1880, The speech, or familiar
talk, is worthy OF reproduction now be-
cause of its Philosophical value as a
| guide in the conduct OF life, and be-
| cause ii affords such d clear insight TO
| the character of the great man who has
passed away-shows $" clearly tho Sc
crct of his vast requirements and i'm.
mense power. He said
81 was thinking, young ladies and
gentlemen, as | sat here This morning,
that life is almost wholly made up OF
margins. The bulk itself OF almost
any thing is not what tells That exists
anyway. That is expected. That is
uor what gives the profit Or makes the
distinguishing difference. The grocer
cafes little for tho great bulk OF the
price of his tea. 1t is the few cents be-
tween the cost and selling pr.cr, which
lC tSlllS pllO hiAA siPI ti!'oh l. ~
Interests him. |. thi. to be great or
small? is the thing OF Importance.
Millions of dollars change hands in oLr
great marts OF trade just on the ques-
ton of margins. The sslDla thing is all
Important i'll the subject Of thought.
One mind is not greater than anOIutr,
perhaps, in the great bulk Of .ts con
tents; but its margin is greater, that's
all. | may know just as much as you
do about the general details OF the sub
ject, but you can 60 just u litb!e farther
than | can. You have a grea er mar
gin than |. You can tel me OF some
single thought just beyond where |
have goue. Your margin has got me.
must succunb TO your superiority.
A good way to carry out the oams
idea and better illustrate it, is by
glJbes. Did you ever see Two globes
whose oniy difference was that one hau |
half an inch larger diameter than The
other? This larger one, although there |
is so little difference will Oh n;irely in
c ose the other, and have quarter If
au irch in every direction to spare
b siues. Let those globes be minds,
with living principle Of soina kind at
:ueir centres, which throws out its
little ttntacle-ike arms in eye-y direc-
lion as radii to explore for knowledge.
The one goes 81 certain distance and
stops. 1t can reach no further. 1t has
reached its maximum OF knowledge in
tha, direction. The other sends its
arlns out, aud can reach just "a 2uarter
If au inch farther. So far as the first
uind il ahle to Tell, the other nas gone
infinitely farther Lhan it can reach. 1t
.oes out 10 ltB tarJhest limit and must
sop; the other tells him things that he
lid not know before. Many E.inds
you may consider wonderful in their
,.pacity. They may be able to 20 only
quarter of an inch behind you.
" hat an incentive this should be for I
nv young mau to work, to make his :,
margin az great az, if not greater, Than ',
he margin Of his fellows. !,
"T recall a good illustration Of this :
when | was in college. A certain =,
oung man was leading the class IL !. a,
,atin. thought l was studying hard. :
couldn't see how he got tie start OF usg ~ ~
Il 30. To us he seemed to have al In. VI
mite knowledge. He knew more thar
re did. Finally, one day, asked him
hen he learned his Latin lesson. AT
light, he,rep led. learned mine at the .. y.
ame time. His window was NOT far y,
ON mine, and could see him from q
" own. l bad finished my lesson the -.
ext night az we'll as usual, and feeling W
eepy, was about to 60 to bed. l hap. va va
sned to saun' er to my window aud =. =.
,ere saw my classmato. Still be ding IT
ligently over his book. There's where
} gets the margin on me, / thought.
Iut he shall not have it for once
II study just little longer than he M
,es tonight So l took down my ne
,oks again, and, opening to the lesson Fl
ent to work with renewed vigor.
atched for the light to 60 out in my
assmate's . room. In fifteen minutes 1t St