The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1904-08-14

ereat philosophical poem, and all Job
Is poetry. Think of the story OF Exo-
aus and the wandering of the chosen
people through the Wilderness for forty
years, and that only two OF all their
most ever saw the promised land. And
then the sermon on the mount and the
life Of Paul. The Bible Is q treasure
house. 1t has had kreat influences up
on me all my life"
What books stand next to the Bible
In your ,estimationY'
Shakespeare has, suppose. the se-
cond place. but / study Shakespeare
still and find It ever fresh and ever
by heart, and their characters ARE
sul 10 eSpsIMoux xm 10 qonm
loS suIIIoH moIA 'em o. IvsI 6IoA
Greeks and Romans, and from Shake
spearc human pature."
College Educations for C0nRressmnn.
Il here asked the Speaker as to what
he thought of the BENEFITS of a college
education. He replied:
Il have regretted that was not able
to go to college. The lack Of such ar
education made II so that I have had
to do my life work with dun tools.
Education sharpens the intellectual
faculties and the man who possesses
It works more surely and safely. ]
have for years been on the appropria-
ton committee of the House Of Rep
resentatives and have signed confer
ence reports appropriating more than
one billion dollars. have had my
say as to the contents OF those reports.
but / would not have attempted the
writing OF one for q fortune. Why?
Because the reports are written in a
hurry and the misplacing of a single
comma might have cost the nation mill
lions Of dollars and brought me ever
lasting disgrace"
Schools That Make Men.
But schools like yours have their
advantages over the colleges. MT.
Speaker" said I. TT Is such schools
that make men,"
'"That may be true" was the reply.
There are greater Disadvantages than
having to work ones way through
life. Such work brings out the man
and hardens his character. THOSE
who are doing things in the world to-
day are largely men schooied as was;
They come from the middle Walks OF
life. They have had to fight their wav
upward and through lighting they
grew. I learned much in that country
store. 1t taught me exactitude. indus
try and the value of the nickel only
the fewest people ever learn that
twenty nickels make a dollar. In that
store the accounts had to be exact. !
remember we sold calico dress TOT
dollar and 1t then took just eight
wards to make a dress. We measured
IL Off with the yard stick-just eight
wards. not a quarter of an inch more,
not a quarter of an inch less. Eight
pounds of coffee were sold for DOL :
lar and I learned to measure out JUST
eight pounds think we put the paper
on the scales first Another common
article we sold was tobacco which cost
40 cents a plug, but which was usuaiiy
sold in cent cuts. i learned TO cut
a plug In eighths and to put the other
seveneighths away in glass jar lot
future customers. All this taught me
to be exact"
Cannon's First Five Hundred Dollars.
1T must have taught you to be
economical as we1l?"
"Economical," exclaimed Mr.. Cannonl
Eye gods! how economical / was then!
A nickel looked bigger than double
eagle does now. and l am not extrava-
giant today. wanted to study law ana
get ahead, and saved every cent. How
closely / saved you may know when
I tell you that for that Ave years / re-
ceived $1,000 in wages. an average or
81 a week, and saved just half OF that.
The result was that I had $500 when l
stopped clerking. I lived upon that
while studied. law.
That saving taught me the uses and
value of money" continued Mr.. Cannon.
TT gave me habits which enabled me
to pay the debts incurred in the dull
season of my law study and early prac-
tice. 1t caused me to invest my sur
plus thereafter, with the result that
when I went to Congress 1 had what
was then considered a good income out
side my salary"
Gould you not live upon your salary
while in Congress?" I asked.
IT have not done so" was the reply.
IT have lived we'll. although not ex
travagantly. My expenses have been
about twice as much as the amount re-
ceived from the government Never
theless those investments made in the
days OF my law practice. owing to the
rise in farm lands and other things.
have made 1t so that I could now leave
public life and be comfortably off. I
don't mean that would be a rich man
in the present sense of the word, but
/ would have enough for all my needs"
The Prime of Life at Sixty-Eight.
You are too young a man, Mr..
Speaker, to think of retiring. You
seem to be in your prime"
IF man is as old as he feels" said
am sixty eight, but I have never felt
better, physically or mentally. 1
work more easily and can handle men
better than In the past How long this
will last I do not know. but there are
many men in public life older than I
who are still doing good work. Senator