The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-05-25
EVERY YOUNG MAN MUST TAKE
CHANCES"


This is the day of the college grad
uate. He is being turned out this
month by every college in the country
and is looking into the future for his
career. Very many of them are look
ing for a vocation that will at once
give them good salary some be-
cause they have incurred debts by
attendance at college. Soon you will
hear that this or that graduate, with
influential friends. has landed in a
comfortable berth with a good salary,
and other graduates will be disposed
to envy him his good luck, as they go
out to teach school upon a meagre
salary or to some other work that
gives uncertain reward. But the man
with a good easy place and a good
salary to begin with is not often to
be envied. Senator Chauncey M.
Depew is one of the richest lawyers
in the United States, director of fifty
important companies, and he recent
ly gave an incident of his early life
that points moral to young men to-
day. He said:
when l graduated / had no money,
no friends who were able to assist me,
and the world looked singularly dark
and unpromising. / came to Wash
ington to secure a clerkship in one of
the departments. l had letters to
cabinet minister. He said to me:
Young man, l can give you a clerk
ship. but if l do your career will be
closed. You think you only want it
temporarily that you will save money
and then go out and get your profess
sion at the law, but you will acquire
habits, you will become more and
more dependent upon your salary, you
will more and more lose initiative, and
more and more fear to let go of the
certainty which you have, until your
energy and ambition will be so sap
ped that you can never be anything
else than a government employee
eff I had refused that advice
would now be, unless removed Dy
politics, still a clerk in the Treasury
Department. But / secured small
school and suffered the usual hard
ships of beginners while studying law.
I went through the usual early years
of few clients, small pay. and many
priwations, but finally and gradually
came success, and the discipline has
made me what l am"
A clerical position at Washington
very inviting to young men, and it
affords to the few who use it right
fully as a stepping stone to better
things the best chance that a young
man without means can secure to OBJ
tain a professional education. The
new mayor of Greensboro studied law
in Washington while running in and
out of Washington as railway mail
clerk. Other successful and useful
men in the State could not have OBJ
rtained a professional education, but
for the help thus obtained. But,
where one obtained his profession and
resigned, ninety-nine feared to risk
the venture-were afraid to take
chances''-and will live and die gov
eminent clerks. There is no position
more honorable, but it affords no field
for initiative, for individualism, and
does not make men leaders.
The late James G. Blaine often told
young men of his experience and his
Indebtedness to Hannibal Hamlin.
Like Mr.. Dpew he went to Washington
to get a clerks place. Mr.. Hamlin
offered to secure the position for him
but told Mr.. Blaine he had the ability
to do great things in life, and that
government position would block his
way to large usefulness and to high
position. Mr.. Blaine had the good
sense to take his advice and enter
journalism, which was the way that
led him to high political honors.
The young man who is not afraid
of the combination of work and hon
esty will nine times out of ten win
greater success if he has to depend
upon his own resources than if he has
somebody upon whom he depends to
give him a lift and start" The
example of Mr.. Blaine and Mr.. De-
pew ought to be inspiring to the
graduates of 1905.