The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1894-08-02
Mark you, this ia the failure of those who
have had large accumulation.

|
Aud then you must take into consld-
Grafton that tho vast sjOritv of those
who make the dominant idea of life
money getting fnll far short Of aflluence.
1t is estimated that only but two out OF
hundred business men have anything
worthy the name OF success. A man
who spends his Lfo with the ono domi-
nant idea Of GDpncIal accommodation
spends Il life not worth living.
So the idea of worldly approva'. If
that be dominant in mans life, he Is
miserable. Tho two most unfortunate
men in this country for the ak months
OF next presidential campaign will be two
men nominated for the presidency. Tho
reservoirs Of abuse and datrlbe
and maledlctlon will gradually
fill up, gallon above gallon.
hogshead above hogshead, aud
about autumn those two reservoirs will
bo brlmming full, and hose will be AT
tached to each one, and it will play
away on these nominees, and they will
have TO stand it and take the abuse, and
the ialsehood, and The caricature, and
the anathema, and tho caLerwauling,
and the filth, and they will be rolled in
ii and rolled over and over in IL, until
they are choked and submerged and
strangulated, end at every sIgn of re. .
turning consciousness they will be bark.
ed at by all the hounds of political par
Ties from ocean to ocean. Aud yet there
arc hundred men today struggling for
that privilege, aud there are thousands
OF men who arc helping them in the
Struggle, Now, thnt is not life worth
| living. You can get slandered and
abused cheaper thar that. Take IL on a
smaller scale. DO not be 80 ambitious
to have Il whole reservoir rolled over on
you. But what you see in the matter Of
high political prelerment you sec in ev-
cry community IN the struggle for what
s called social position.
Tens Of thousands of people trying to
get into that realm, and They are under
terrific tension. What is social position?
1t is difficult thing to define but We all
know what it is. Good morals and in .
telligenco are not necessary, but wealth
or show Of wealth is absolutely indispsn-
sable. There are men today as nOtori
Gus Tor their libertinism rs the night is
famous Tor It's darkness who movo in
what is called high social position. There
are hundreds Of cut and out rakcs In
American society whose names are
mentioned among tho distinguished
guests Of the great levees. They have
annexed all the known VICES and aro
longing for other worlds of dabolism to
conquer. Good morals are not necessa- :
rY i'll many of The exalted circles of 90
cletY.
! Neither Is iltelligcn 20 necessary. You
lind III that realm men who would not
know an adverb from an adjective if they
mot it Il hundred times day, and who
could not write q letter Of acceptance or
regrets without the aid Of q secretary.
They buy their libraries by the square
yard, only anxious to have The binding
lSusslan. Their ignorance Is positively Y
sublime, making English grammar al
most disreputable. Aud yet the linest
parlors open before them. Good morals
and intelligence arc not necessary, bnt
wealth or show of wealth is absolutely
Indispensable. 1t docs not make any
difference how you got your wealth if you
only got it. The best way for you tc
get into social position ID for you TO buy
a largo amount on credit, then put voui
property in your wifc's name, have q
tow preferred creditors and then make
al assignment. Then disappear from
the community until tho broez, is ovor,
and then como back and start in the
same business. Do you not sec how
beautifully that will put out all tho poo.
pie who are in competition with you aud
trying TO mako ap honest living. How
quickly IL will got you into high social
position. What is Tho use OF 10 or SO
years of hard work when you cnn by
Two or three bright strokes mako a
| h
you really loso your money, how quick
they will let you drop, and tho higher
you get the harder you will drop.
There are thousands in that realm to
day who are anxious to keep il. There
are thousands in that realm who are
nervous for fear they will fall out Of 1t,
and there are changes going on every
year, and every month, and every hour
| which involve heartbreaks that are never
reported. High social life is constantly
in ilutter about tho delicate question
rs TO whom they shall let in and whom
they ehall push out, and the battle Is
going on-pier mirror against pier mir.
ror, chandelier against chandelier, wine
cellar against wine cellar, wardrobe
against wardrobe, epulpage against equi.
page. Uncertainty and inse ecurlty domi-
nant IN that realm, Wretchedness en-
throned, torture at premium, and a
| lille Tot worth living.
a life of sin, lifo OF pride, life of
indulgence, Jite of worldness, a life do.
voted to the world, tho flesh and tho
devil is failure, n dead failure, an in.
Unite failure. l care not how many pres /.
ents you sent that cradle or how many
garlands you send to that grave, you
need TO put right under tho name on the
tombstone this inscription: "Better for
that man ifhe bad never been born"
But / shall show you life that is
worth living. A young man says: 81
am here. | am not responsible for an-
cestry. Others decided that. | am not
responsible for my temperament. God
gave mo that. But here L am IN the
afternoon of tho nineteenth century at
20 years of ago. am here, aud must
take an account Of my stock. Here l
have body which isn divinoly con-
structed engine. l must put it to the
very best uses, and must allow moth
ing to damage this rarest of machinery.