Evening journal., 1893-08-23
IS A FACTOR.
IN ONES LIFE LUCK PLAYS A MIGHTY
IMPORTANT PART.

Prominence Except as Chance Lends Its
Aid-some Noted Examples.
Chance is everything. Opportunity and
luck mean much. The great race, it seems
10 me, is but a creature of conditions. Now
and then we hear individuals spoken of as:
He is man of programme He fixes
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-
gramme that keeps him where he is.
Burglars, highwaymen and rascals gen.
orally are quite as likely TO be men of pro-
gramme, to which they adhere with a de-
termination that may well be called obsti-
nate, as any others. My own theoryi Is that
mankind IS made what it is by circum-
stances. Very few Of rs with deliberate in
tent surveyed the country of opportunity.
Very few of us with ak in hand cleared
away path through what appeared an inn
penetrable forest, which being followed
led to a partial clearing, where a 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 1 didn't.
And as l look around me l am quite con-
WINGED that the very large majority of my
fellow citizens did no such thing. What
makes this man a preacher, this writer,
this doctor, this a soapmaker, this sales
man, this a banker? In some instances it
Is natural fitness unque4ionably, 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 clergymanls 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 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
isterial line as il is for the son of a 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 railroad man. You
didn't know that, did your He was pastor
of a church in indianapolis. A new rail-
road was projected, and a superintendent
was to be chosen. A bank president who
was one Of the chief directors had been
greatly impressed with the 60 ahead man
ner and zeal of the young parson, and con-
GLIDING that he was possessed of the quail
titles that would make him first rate rail-
road official proposed his name The con-
Il
Now suppose for moment that he had
been successful. He would have gone ahead
In his calling, and the fire and energy and
vital industry which were prominentamong
his qualities would rapidly ,unquestionably,
have forced him to the front.
And then, growing as the west grew,
nothing under heaven could have kept him
; out ofspolitics, and the large probabilities
7 are that he would have become n foremost
e figure in national councils with a seat in
the senate and possibly a home in the
b White House. It was n little thing that
e switched him. One vote settled the mat
J. ter. AS it was with Beecher, 50 unques
{ tionably it is with multitudes of men less
3 conspicuous.
! Not many years ago a humble Irish
y American worker was sticking type in the
5 composing room Of aneighboring city The
:, newspaper was not very successful then
Is Its editor died. None Of the reporters
y seemed quite up to the mark, and the pro
prietor, nervous, fdgety man, allowed
r. things to drift. The reporters printed whai
10 they pleased. Several paragraphs pertinent
# timely, evincing thought, were written By
a compositor and handed to the proprietor
who published them. They attracted at
tention. He asked him to write more. II
little while Thomas kinsella became tn
- editor of the Brooklyn Eagle, which ere h
died was of the five chief newspaper prop
he critics in the country. If the editor of tina
D. paper had continued his work, kinselli
y would have remained in the composing
Dr room, instead of which he left his case, en-
* tered the sanctum, formed political ant
ST financial alliances, went to congress ant
re died a comparatively wealthy and a yer
s generally esteemed citizen Of that grea
De town.
rs 1t was the purest incident Of an acciden
RS that secured for him a commanding pos
il tion and a wide felt influence in Attain
i What nonsense it would be to say that Ca
e field when be was driving horses on TOW
D. path had any idea, any plan, any PR
id gramme, the end of which was the pres
dency of the United Statesl 1t was chance
ce accident, which gave him opportunity af
q er opportunity, and it was an industrious
D. honest utilization of the chance and Of th
be opportunity which advanced him step b
he step, but even there see how he was favore
i'd by circumstances.
I'D The story is familiar to you all. Tweni
L. thousand people were packed in the grei
N assemblage hall in Chicago. Ten thousar
l. Of them cheered themselves hoarse over u
ge name of Grant, while the other 10000 e
deavored to drown the noise made by hu
II. raining and clapping and cheering 4
in Blaine. Now. if Grants friends had be,
of the stronger in the convention, there wou
nj have been no Garfield, OF if Blaines frienl
" had had sufficient strength TO carry q
q. day. Garfield would have been nowhei
an The happy accident was that there was
divided convention, so far as those nam
were concerned, and the compromise W
Garfeld's opportunity.
That's my point IL is not that Carrie
In was not competent, not that he wasn't su
seauently elected, not that be couldn't I
ION the bill, but that whatever might Ia
er. been his desire, ambitions, hopes. it W
ar nothing but the bitter, relentless fight I
eco tween the friends of Blaine and Grant tn