The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1898-12-08
ABOUT APERSONALITY.
CULTIVATE THE BEST IN Us.
Personal Power and Influence.
Virginian and Pilot.

personal power and influence that come
of character, capacity, wealth, business
social position and other ad-
yantages, If he have them, or any OF
them. Even the most degraded and
disreputable wretch, with no personal
power and influence, except to repel
and to disgust, quickly recognizes this
power and influence in other men
and while, of course, the law may give
one an official and positive power
which he may exert Independently of
bis own personality and Its power and
influence, yet even king or presi-
dent Of the United States may have
more real power and influence with
the people by and through his person
atty than by virtue OF his Office.
Even a rabble, without a vote, by
force of their numbers and noise, have
great effect ON elections In England
and other countries, where suffrage 10
restricted, and candidates count them
accordingly; and in this country,
though every man has the elective
franchise, he can multiply the power
and influence that 1t gives him by his
personal attributes. We are equal in
law and fact in the number of ballots
We can cast directly; but indirectly
and practically many men cast two,
four, ten, score, hundred, or even
Thousands of votes by their control OF
others through no improper means
but by force of character, capacity and
other things that weigh with good and
intelligent citizens, without any servil-
ity on their part, either. The power
and influence are natural and just, and
their effect on others is also natural
and just.
How carefully, then should every man
guard himself against losing the quail
ties that commend him to his commu-
nifty, and how sedulous he should be
to develop and cultivate the best that
is in him. To be the guide, philoso-
pher and friend of others is to serge
nobly, and even though one be not
ambitious, it leads him on and up
The applause OF listening Senates to
command,
The threats of pain and ruin to de-
spise,
To scatter plenty DER smiling land,
And read hts history in a nations
eyes,
There Is no worthy career in which
the personality is not of great, if not OF
chief account land it ls this that carries
men to the high places reserved for the
good and great; for though there be
rascals in high places, all the world
over, they have gotten there by force,
fraud and hypocrisy, or all of them
combined, and not by the will of man.
kind, to whose great honor it is that
they seek to guard all positions OF
great dignity, credit and trust against
bad men and to hold them exclusively
sacred to the worthy.
To be thus worthy, not to seem only
is noble aspiration. and If it be tinct.
ured with selfishness it has a philan-
thropic and patriotic purpose that
sanctifies and refines that selishness
above all sordid considerations. 1t i.
no less for the poor and lonely than
for the rich and lofty to evolve and
conserve their best personality 4; for the
better it be in any man, in any posi-.
ton, the better for him and all othert
for or with whom he has to do. The
preacher and the lawyer alike need it
to I'll their places we'll, and the com.
mon laborers and the millionaire are
the better for 1t. For though the law
human and divine, il no respecte.: Of
person, we are respecters of persons
and oftentimes in public as we'll a.
private affairs, the person is more i'm.
portant than his professions or hi
creed, and personality is sometimes the
rightly prevailing factor, not only be.
tween men and parties, but between
principles, policies and measures. II
was this that made Washington the
Father ~ hla Hnurfrv