Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-01-20
"A MESSAGE TO GARCIA"
Extra ordinary Popularity Of an Editorial in a
Little Magazine.

Such, however, is what mas happened
to the Message to Garcia" published
originally in the March number Of the
Philistine. and written by its editor
Ebert Hubbard, who had no idea of its
possibilities as sermon. Mr.. Hub
bard was requested to reprint it in
pamphlet form, and now employers all
over the world are interested in it.
Here is the Message to Garcia"
In al this cuban business there is
one man stands out on the horizon of
my memory like Mars at perihelion.
When war broke out between Spain
and the United States, it was very
necessary to communicate quickly
with the leader Of the insurgents
Garcia was somewhere in the mountain
faStness s If cuha-no one knew where.
No mail nor telegraph message could
reach him. The President must secure
his cooperation. and quickly.
What to do 80
Some one said to-. the President.
"Thcrc's a fellow by the name Of
Rowan will find Garcia for you. if any
body can" Rowan was sent for and
given letter to be delivered to Garcia.
How "the fellow by the name of
Rowan" took the letter, sealed it up
in an oilskin pouch, strapped it over
his heart, in four days landed by night
off the coast of Cuba from an open
boat, disappeared into the jungle, and
in three weeks came out on the other
side of the island having traVersed a
hostile country on foot, and delivered
his letter to Garcia, are things I have
no special desire to tell in detail.
The point l wish to make is this:
Mckinley gave Rowan a letter to be
delivered to Garcia: Rowan took the
letter and did not ask, Where is he
at?" BY the Eternal! there is man
whose form should be cast in death
less bronze and the statue placed in
every college of the land. 1t is not
book learning young men need, nor in
struction about this and that. but
stiffening of the vertebrae which will
cause them to be loyal to trust. to
act promptly. concentrate their ener-
gies do the thing-"carry a message
to Garcia"
General Garcia is dead now, but
there are other Garcias.
No man who has endeavOred to carry
out an enterprise where many hands
We're needed. but has been well-nigh
appalled, at times by the imbecility of
the average mantle inability or I'M
Willingness to concentrate on thing
and do il. Slipshod assistance, foolish
inattention. dowdy Indifference. and
half-heartcd work seem the rule; and
no man succeeds, unless by hook or
crook. or threat. he forces or brides
other men to assist him; or mayhap. God
in His goodness performs miracle,
and sends him an Angel Of Light for
an assistant. You. reader. put this
matter to a test: You are sitting now
i'm your oflice-siX clerks are within
call. summon any one and make this
request: please look in the encyclo-
rcdia and make a brief memorandum
for m" concerning the life Of COR
reggie"
VIII the clerk quietly say, Yes, sir, >"
and 80 to the task?
on your life, he will not. He will
look al you out of fishy eye. and ask
Who was he?
Which encyclopedia?
Where is the encyclopedia?
Was | hired for that?
Don't you mean Bismarck?
What's the matter with Charlie do
ing it?
Is there any hurry?
Shant | bring you the book and let
you look it up yourself?
What do You want to know for?
And | will lay you 10 to l that after
you have answered the questions, and
explained how to find the information.
ana why YOU want it. the clerk will 20
of ana got one Of the other clerks to
IN ind
come back and tell you there is no such
man. OF course. | may los" my bet.
but. according to the law of average,
! will not.
Now. if YOU are wise. you will not
bother to explain to your assistant"
that Corrcggio is indcxed under the
IS, not in the Ks. but you will smile
eweetly and say. Never mind" and go
and look it up yourself.
And his incapacity for independent
action. this moral stupidity. this in
trinity of the WILL this unWillingnesS
to chcerfully catch hold and lift. are
the things that put pure Socialism 50
far into the future. If men will not
act for themselves what will they do
when the benefit of their effort is for
an? A first mate with knotted club
seems necessary. and the dread of get
ting 1.-THE bounce" Saturday night
holds many a worker to his place.
Advertise for stenOgrapher. and
nine out of ten who apply can neither
spell nor punctuate-and do not think
ii necessary to.
Can such one write letter to
Garcia?
You see that bookkeeper?" said the
for nan to me in large factory.
'Ycr. what about him."
Wei he's a fine accountant; but If
senG him uptown on an errand he
IL sht ac 1mplish the errand all right,
am on tIN other hand. might stop at
got {. Main ,treet would forget what he
had he, II sem Cor.
can SLrh a nan Ne entrusted to carry
Il message to Ga els
We have recent cen hearing much
maudlin sympat's expressed for the
down-trodden i .Iizens of the sweat
searching for h est employment, and
win II all often } many hard words for
me men in mower
Nothing is said about the employer who |
tIn"s cid before his time in vain at |
tcnpt 10 get frowsv ne'er-do-wellS to do |
lnlellsent work: and his long, patient |
SlINihs with help thst does nothing |
nuI lnat when his back il turned. In ev- |
,lN store and factory Their is a constant |
MechlhE-out process going .n 4 EN- |
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