Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-08-29
CHANCE Is A FACTOR.
IN ONES LIFE LUCK PLAYS A MIGHTY
IMPORTANT PART.

The Sturdy Qualities That Go to Make Up
Capable Man Fail to Push Him Into
Prominence Except as Chance Lends Its
Aid-Some Noted Examples.
Chance is everything. Opportunity and
hck mean much. The great race, it seems
TO me, is but creature of conditions. Now
and then we hear individuals spoken of as;
He is man of programme. He fixes a
course and adheres to it." And that re-
mark is generally made concerning some
one who has achieved success, either as a
money getter or holder, or as a factor on
some elevated plane of life, but when you
come to think of it the beggar in the street
may be quite as determined in, his pro-
gramme, and possibly it is his very pro-
sramme that keeps him where he is.
Burglars, highwaymen and rascals gen.
| orally are quite as likely to be men of pro-
Zramme, to which they adhere with a de-
termination that may well be called obsti-
nate, as any Others. My own theory is that
mankind is made what it is by circum-
stances. Very few of us with deliberate in
tent surveyed the country of opportunity
| Very few of us with ak in hand cleared
away path through what appeared an i'm
penetrahe forest, which being followed,
led to partial clearing, where persistent
labor with the ak and the grub furnished
us fallow field In which to plant the seed
of today that we might reap the harvest of
tomorrow. / am very sure didn't.
And as look around me am quite con-
| vinced that the very large majority of my
fellow citizrns did no such thing. What
makes this man a preacher, this a writer,
this doctor, this soapmaker, this sales
man, this bankerf In some instances it
is natural fitness unquestionably, but in
very great majority of cases it is simply
the outcome of all controlling circum-
stances and conditions.
Take the case of Henry Ward Beecher
Being clergyman's son, he, like all his
fathers children. studied for the ministry.
forget how many sons the old gentleman
had, but six. at all events, every one of
whom became a clergyman. One of them
was no more fit to be a preacher than l. One
would have made most admirable teacher,
professor, but he is no preacher. In fact, of
them all the two who succeeded in life
were Henry Ward and Thomas K, but
they were sons of Lyman Beecher, and it
was as natural for them to yield to the all
controlling circumstances and conditions of
their fathers family and fall into the min
sterial line as it is for the son of butcher
to follow his fathers calling.
But to return to Beecher. When he was
in the west, nothing but an accident pre-
vented his becoming a railroad man. You
didn't know that, did your He was pastor
of church in Indianapolis. A new rail
road was projected, and superintendent
was to be chosen. A bank president who
81 fha oh hoI laa
greatly impressed with the go ahead man.
ner and zeal of the young parson, and con-
Guiding that he was possessed of the quail
tiles that would make him a first rate rail
road official proposed his name. The con-
test was close. Beecher lost by one vote.
Now suppose for q moment that he had
been successful. He would have gone ahead
in his calling, and the fire and energy and
vital industry which were prominent among
his qualities would rapidly ,unquestionab1y,
have forced him to the front.
And then. growing as the west grew,
nothing under heaven could have kept him
out of politics, and the large probabilities
are that he would have become foremost
figure in national councils, with seat In
the senate and possibly a home in the
White House. 1t was little thing that
switched him. One vote settled the mat
ter. AS 1t was with Beecher, so unques-
tionably 1t is with multitudes of men less
conspicuous
Not many years ago humble Irish
American worker was sticking type In the
composing room of neighboring city. The
newspaper was not very successful then.
Its editor died. None of the reporters
seemed quite up to the mark, and the pro
prietor, a nervous, fidgety man, allowed
things to drift. The reporters printed what
they pleased. Several paragraphs pertinent,
timely, evincing thought, were written by
q compositor and handed to the proprietor,
who published them. They attracted at
tention. He asked him to write more. In
q little while Thomas Kinsella became the
editor of the Brooklyn Eagle, which ere he
died was OF the five chief newspaper prop
critics in the country II the editor OF that
paper had continued his work, Kinsella
would have remained in the composing
room, instead of which he left his case, en-
tered the sanctum, formed political and
financial alliances, went to congress and
died comparatively wealthy and very
generally esteemed citizen of that great
town.
It was the purest incident Of an accident
that secured for him a commanding posi-
ton and wide felt influence in affairs.
What nonsense it would be to say that Gar
Geld when he was driving horses on tow
path had any idea, any plan, any pro
0ramme, the end of which was the presi'
dency Of the United Statesl 1t was chance,
accident, which gave him opportunity aft
er opportunity, and it was an industrious,
honest utilization of the chance and Of the
opportunity which advanced him step by
step. but even there see how he was favored
by circumstances.
The story Is familiar TO you all Twenty
thousand people were packed In the great
assemblage hall in Chicago. Ten thousand
OF them cheered themselves hoarse over the
name Of Grant, while the other 100 en-
deavOred to drown the noise made by hur-
raining and clapping and cheering for
Blaine. Now. II Grants friends had been
the stronger in. the convention, there wonld
have been no Garfield. or II Blaine's friends
had had sufficient strength to carry the
day Garfield would have been nowhere.
The happy accident was that there was
divided convention. so far as those names
were concerned, and the compromise was
Garaeld's opportunity.
That's my point. II is not that Garfield