The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-12-23
CURRENT TOPICS.

| In his address before the PIERCE School
| in Philadelphia on Friday last, Mr..
| Grover Cleveland gave the pupils some
good advice. We give below some of the
most striking passages:
TT is a good thing said he, ito start
out in your life work with the idea firmly
in your mind TINT the world owes you
living. OF course, you are not to give
this the highwayman's meaning, nor act
| upon it in highwayman fashion.
Neither should the proposition that the
world owes you a living be construed as
giving license for all sorts Of sharp prac-
tees, involving work only with the wits,
and a disregard of the golden rule and
every other. precept which maintains and
cultivates human brotherhood.
1.-The most absurd thing for men or wo-
men to do at any time of life is to allow
the least approach to an idea that because
the world owes them a living, the world
ought to bring it to them. 1t will pass by
all who wait and bestow on others who
are working and striving the good things
it has in store.
ditions, does the world owe US a living?
It owes US just such a living as we can
gain by hard work, by the exercise Of all
our mental faculties, by a scrupulbus adj
herence to the rules of honesty and by a
never failing obedience to the dictates Of
lightened conscience
Dwelling upon the Importance of self
reliance and self-confideuce, CIR Cleve-
land said:
~ can hardly specify all the mental and
moral traits and virtues that Dre mingled
in the composition Of the 5elf-reliance 1
have described. 1 believe they will be
readily recognized among the things that
make men and women mentally strong
and useful and morally Christian and
honest.
THE prom:nece I give to this single
requisite in the race of life is justified, it
seems to me. not only by what is included
in its composition but by its natural
products and outgrowths One of these is
an intelligent, brave and undaunted perse-
verance No effort is worth making with
out this, and both effort md perseverance
should find their support and encourage
ment in self-rel:ance. 1 have used the
term intelligent perseverance with pur-
success, but I do not wish to DE under
sood as laud;ng a blind, stubborn persis-
tency. TINT never admits that the drec
off .1~efjtoi,l1r he CHANGED
1t is well to mark out. early and thought
fully a career in all its details, as far as
possible, and to sturdily follow it accord
ing to the Plan adopted In many cases
perhaps in large majority Of cases
this VIII bring you to your objective point
OF success. Persevere stoutly in the
course you have entered upon, but perse-
we're intelMgently. II you find the rock Of
impossibillty in your path go around it,
rather than beat yourself to death against
it. but still persevere; and if it shall plain
" appear to you that an everything Prov
idence is directing you in Il way different
from that of YOUR choice follow the new
way submissively and again persever-
insiy.''
ST must not longer delay reference to |
one Of the most vicious errors that can
OS any pos->ipiiils gam IOd5IreIL III iiiS
mind OF any one who has set out to make
a fight for the living which the world |
owes US all. l mean the notion that il the
daily allotted task is done, and if the eX- |
act time prescribe d for dnily labor is
spent in work, every duty that can pro !
fitably be discharged has been met and !
every advantage that can follow in tthful
service has been gained. It may be true
that all has been done which under the
strict terms of an agreement for service
can be required; und even If this has
been done IN a perfunctory and tistIess
spirit by those who are punotua1 at the
morning hour, and who diligently watch
the clock for the closing hour of work,
they will probably avoid charges Of In