The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-17
BY CHARLES BATTELL LOOMS, Author of "CheerfuI Americans" &c.

BY CHARLES BAYFIELD, LOOMS, Author of sCheerfuI Americans" &c.
 Some one with taste for figures was telling me the other day that since Ine formation of the United States some where back in the century before the last only twenty-six Americans have become President-and not single foreigner.
 Doesn't this fact put parents and tesch- CTS in rather an unenvtable position as regards sincerity? Here we have today at least ten million innocent children m this broad land of ours and nearly every one has been told that he has a chance to become President If he will only re- gard his book and be good boy and 90 more right than wrong. and 1t Is sate to say that there have been thousands of millions of children who have looked for ward at one time or another to winning this great prize and only twenty-six have so far laid hands on this plum. For my part, think we ought to take cur children aside and tel them frankly that they have mighty little chance. Think of bright boy toiling on az school, avoiding Athletics and burning the midnight oil and his brain as well-for there's as much consumption of brain as there Is of midnight oil in these nocturnal studyings--think of him pushing on m every State in the Union hoping Tor the Presidency, while we know that for the next fifty years we can't expect to put more than five of the children of today Into tho great position.
 For my part I'd say to my child-Roio' there's the Presidency. It's a lottery No man ever knew from the beginning that he was going to get 1t. washing ton was real surprised. Hayes had his doubts even after election day, ana Roosevelt often goes off by himself ana says, Is 1t really possible that the former cowboy and literary man. the hero or thousands of young men, Is President or again if the plutocrats don't get in their fine work? But, as say, my boy, It's a lottery. and this country of ours Is op- posed to lotteries--oficially. It Is against the law to run q lottery. because our pa tsrnai government thinks 1t bad for US people to blow in hard earned money on the mere chance of getting more in re- turn But when you blow in your years, my son, in the mad, hope of reaching the plaee made so glorious by Andrew John son and James Buchanan, and reach the age of fifty, perhaps, and at last learn that you do not stand a ghost of chance of being even mentioned for the position by some obscure cross roads paper with
 q iunatic editor, then you will look back on a life of wasted endeavor and say q wish my country had prohibited me from trying for this elusive prize and py that time you will be too old to get any other position of honor or emolument, ana you will sink to your grave in company with thousands of other disappointed and ngeIess Americans.
 ''Emerson." would say, continuing the conversation--for~ you understand that this is hypothetical case and that there fore they boy has got to stand still and listen-"Emerson said, Hitch your waeoD to a stad,' but you may make a mis- take and hitch 1t to a comet and then, where is your wagon?
 '.s'There are plenty of hiSelier horses. my son, and in these days of automobiles 1t isn't necessary to hitch your wagon to anything. Just make up your mind