Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-11-26

is rpnfnsnltHllNf Ni lNf INt.H ""iN
that man most admirable who has
made he most of the talents entrusted
to his kccplng Oh This ? believe. my
opinion hus a hsh and ancient souc-
ton
/ do not boy amy means contend that
ex.Goy. Adams is the strongest man 10
the state. nor the vIsest nor the best.
1 mean only SWELL Z mean just what /
have said. / admire him because he
has had the purpose and the perseyer-
ance TO make the most Of himself and
because the product ot his efforts is
excellent
lie rs a good man, o wise man ana
a strong man, the sort Of man that
sensible father might safely point ont
10 an ambitious son as a fair all round
example OF ambitious sensible monIl-
noes for the boy 10 observe and emulate
That Is certainly a most honorable as
tlnctlon. II Is 20 distinction that but
fev men, even among those of whose
faculties or achievements we might
Justly sneak In the superldtlVe degree
pttain 10. Tho character Of men, whose
talents and force of intellect place theIn
I'm the highest rank are nearly always
so blemished in some respects AS 10
re nder them dangerous examples uh-
discriminating youth. seeing such men
successful. are as liable as not 70 col-
clude that they have succeeded ny ie1-
son OF their faults. II takes experience
to discover that they have really sue
ceeded only In spite Of their faults
Many OF the men whose talents ana
force OF character carry them 10 the
helghts OF financial or political ainDl-
lions are guilty OF the meanest lYnBi
chlcanery, knayery and ingratltude'
ana those visible faults betray the
Judgment OF young and inexperienced
men into the mistaken inference that
living. chlcanery. knayery ana lngratl-
tude have contributed to the success.
No concluaon could be mare false
ana qhort.slghted, no Inference more
bllndlv and unwarrantably drawn IL Is
All a deceptive seemlng--and pitlIuI ana
disastrous Is the short-slghted inference
drawn from the damnable deiuslon' TOT
N any one truth Is written more plainly
over the whole history Of the human
race than another II Is that no man
over succeeded In life except by virtue
aione. and that his faults were but y
drag and hindrance TO that force OF
character which lmpeled him upward.
n the faults were M preponderance
,hev must have impelled such men
downward instead Of up, by spiritual
force as universal, rs resistless ana
to the rejecting mind as obvious avs
gravitatlOn
But short-aghtedness will not be
cured by argument. kelecilon--Wi,n
whatever light Of reason one can-ls us
only palllation.
There IL wrong, fatally wrong
and Infectious impression abroad de-
baslng public life. and the lesson ]
would enforce from my own political
Is that no Virtue OF ITSELF
neither truth nor the incest loyalty to
honor. ever since the world began dis
any man IN politlcs-nor
was ever, OF itself aught but q most
positive help whose influence was limit
ed only by the force OF character i'm
pelling It. Backed by equal force
truth and honor will win every time
unfaillngly against falsehood, chlchan-
cry I'm any community on earth where
the trial Is made before any consldera-
bic number Of men.
Though | am sermonlzing somewhat
this is no Sunday school hapdoodle,
but irrefraglle philosophers psyohol-
ogy, II you will II Is thus and II can
not by any possibility be otherwise To
doubt Il Is to disclose an incapaclty 10
understand the resistless Instincts Of
human nature-but observe, the equal
force" is sine qua non
II Is lmbeclllty to expect virtue which
win not exert Itself and keep us eyes
open, 10 win IN public life.
Truth and honor viii often limp ana
be tlmld and blear-eyed and slow
where falsehoOd and chlcanery come
into the battle nmble and bold and
and swift
The debdsing blunder Is TO regard
such as a necessary condition OF truth
and honor.
Courage and cleyerness and gener-
osity are admirable even In the worst
cause--and pity 10 saythey often figure
In the worst, But OF them
selves they are virtues OF character
not vices There Is certainly no need a
man should be a liar and scamp 20
be courageous and clever and generous.
Even justice itself may be- rendered
so hateful by the absence Of generos-
ny that men Will reject t.
hut az for the cantlng pQltrO0nery In
politics that Willingly pleads the right
uf victory for virtue without any proof
0f battle, | have no use for H. II is an
thing and | rejoice to see
70 crushed every time Neither have I
any profound and abiding respect for
honesty without sense that rushes
bawllng and laundering into the arena
ready TO club everybody into sudden
and undlgested reforms.
Virtue without any backbone and vir-
tue with nothing but backbone, are
two extremes from which the Lord de-
liver ms.
Any sort Of government Is some sort
of compromise and patience and toll
GRAFTON are virtues avs essential 10 pub
lic liberty as courage IT,,
! shall not be guilty Of the absurdity
n presenting Gov. Adams as a perfect
man or n perfect politician. / present
his character 10 tile young men Of the
ytate-the youths Just coming into man.
hood ana the serious political duties Of
democratic cltizenship-only ne an ad-
mirable example OF a high average OF
ambition of capacity of dutlfuness,
OF Industry and perseverance. Of cour.
age, OF self denial honOubleness, dis
creilon, good judgment taste and re-,
hnement-of general excellence, In q
state whore there is no paucty OF ad.
mlrable manhood and high political
sense
] could OF course mention men OF
Colorado more devoted to goodness.
plenty Of men far wiser in special lines
NJ thought plenty Of men just az dutl-
lul toward the public and many men 1f
Cor only perhaps Oh greater pollcal
sagaclty. But | think now OF no one
! could mentIon-Or certainly not more
than one-who presents quite so adj
mirable an average of dutifulness and
cleyerness and sound political sense.
10 would be n wrong To 70 Just pub
lic estimate OF excellent citizenship Ia
place any man IN The state before eN-
Governor Grant, who with the cares Of
he largest private business IN the state
" Colorado on his head offered himself
last year as district school director
That Is a supreme example of dutifu
j.