Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-01-20
CT Brl'us aud Brass.

The characteristic American If t. H.
is compound of two prominent al
ties-brams and brass. Without ct a.!
of these he is an utterly worthless MOI
tai, and with one of them lie is unDi
anced and unfit Tor the demands OF tie
age. The man of mere int lect may he
a line scholar, aud thoughtful reader,
but he can never mingle successfully III
the busy activities of the world at large.
The man of mere conceit may 10 con.
splcuous and receive attention becaus,
OF his pertinacity, but he can never grasp
the great themes which absorb mankind
at present. 1t needs combination of
the two elements to achieve succe S.
Call it NERVE" "cheek," overdmwn
assurance - whatever you will, this
spirit of push, of unbounded persever.
ance, is recognized feature of the true
American. And there is no reason to
mourn its existence. 1t is necessary
factor in modern life. In the midst Of
the rush and hurry Of these days a man
WILDE left in the rear who does not
make himself aggressive. Mere brain
power is not enough. There must be
some means whereby the ability can be
manifested.
Brass-a determination to make the
world feel the brain power of the man
Is this means. 1t need not be shown in
way to annoy or disgust. Quietly, but
persistently, the intellect may be made
to influence the lives of others. The
genius of the head may be eyerted
through the grasp of the hand and the
general familiarity which follows there
by. 1t requires pluck-but that is only
more polite name for the same thing.
Brass Is only courage modernized, aud
the age is fast adopting it. 1t appears
everywhere. The drummer is brass per-
sonified i'll business the book agent in
the publishing trade; the reporter in
journalism; the pettifoger in law, and
the secretary of the various boards in the
ministry. Yet all of these eventually
fail unless they have the brains where
with to back no and reinforce tho brass.
The bashful lover is fast becoming an
historical character, yet the bod lover
often fails because what he took for af-
lection was only cheek. Great scholars,
as general thing, make nerveless lovers.
They try to WOO through the head in
stead of through the heart, and fail, be-
cause it is the heart which generates
boldness and sweeps all barriers away
There is no key to this combination.
Most men are born with or without
brains, and most men come into the
world with or without brass. To cult.
vate brass is like trying to cultivate
brains. II one hasn't the thing to he
gin with he can't very well cultivate il.
Ability Is generally natural, and so is
courage. TO pick them up afterwards
is the hardest kind of work. Yet un.
questionably they are absolutely requi-
site in these rapid times. To wait in
the lowermost place in order to get an
invitation to come up higher, is pretty
poor policy nowadays. II you don't lot
it be known that you are around some
other fellow will climb over you and
achieve wealth and renown, A learned
man might live all his life and no one
hear of his knowledge. There must h..
some vehicle for earring it out into the
activities of life, otherwise it will b..
wasted. The best vehicle is brass-de.
termination and self-possession united.
The man Of brass and brains is apt t.
be eminently the successful man. He
contains within himself the elements
which 90 to make up SUCCESS. To be all
brass without brains, or all brains with.
out brass, is to be an incomplete indi.
vidual in this nineteenth century and in
this country.-Phitadelphia Times.