Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1905-07-19
swANsON's AMBITION
Desires to he Governor of the
Old Dominion

lie in which our happy lot Is cast
that its highest honors may be as
/ pired to by any meritorious young
man however humble his circum-
stances. Its proudest gifts are
within the possible reach of any
youth, however poor he may be,
if he only hSs integrity, industry
and lofty ambition. The history
of our country is full of many such
instances as the millboy who went
forth from the "slashes" of Han
over to become the Harry of the
Wsst," and perhaps tbs foremost
of our statesmen and political
leaders.
Congressman Claude A.Swanson
is a man who, by his own exertions,
by integrity of character, by inde-
fatigable exertions, by laudable
aspiration, has already achieved
creditable career in the councils of
the country, and is in a fair way
to attain the yet more honorable
distinction Of Chief Executive for
the ancient Commonwealth Of Vir-
ginia. He is self-made man, in
so far as any man can be the archi-
tect of his own fortune. His father
was a highly respectable merchant
and manufacturer Of tobacco in
Pittsylvania county, who suffered
a reverse and lost everything in the
panic of 1876. HIS son, the subjec:
of this sketch, then a lad of four
teen, had to stop school and go to
work; a fortunate circumstance
that we could hope might happen
to many another of our young men
who need the hard lessons Of self
denial, and the salutary discipline
of working out their livelihood by
their own exertiOns, and by the
sweat of their brow. He worked
two years on the farm. While till.
ing the ground and driving the
plough, his busy young brain was
full of dreams of honor and dis
tinction, to be won by high am
bition and untiring effort. At
sixteen he taught school aud saved
money enough TO pay his way for
one session at the Virginia Agricul-
tural and Mechanical College, at
Blacksburg. He had then to go to
work again, and clerked for two
years in grocery store in Dan
vile.
While so engaged four promi-
nent men of that city, one a lead
ing lawyer, and three worthy
tobacco manufacturer, seeing that
there was something in the young
man, future before him by the
assistance of helping hand, went
to him and voluntarily offered to
lead him the requisite money to
complete his education and equip
himself for the practice of law.
After much hesitation, he accept
ed this offer, and gave the gentle
men his individual notes for the
amounts advanced by them. re-
spectively. declining their generous
offer to make it free gift. With
this money he went for three
years to Randolph Macon College,
taking .he degree Of A. B., and
the Sutherlin medal for OratOry,
and the debater's medal in the
Washington Literary Society.
While at this college he edited the
Hanover and Caroline News, 1.-THE
organ of the Democratic party for
those counties, thus at that early
period actively espousirg the prin-
clples and the practical work OF
the party to which he has given a
lifelong loyalty and devotion. He
then by hard study accomplished
in one year the twO-years' law
course at the University of Vir.
ginia, taking the degree of Bache-
Tor of Laws. He entered upon the
practice of his profession at Chat
ham, Pittsylvania county, and in
two years had built up a paying
practice that enabled him to re-
turn every dollar of the money
that had been leLt him by his
generous benefactors.
In 1892, less than six years after
he had left college, Mr.. Swanson
was nominated for Congress over
many competitors. He was elect
ed, and has since been without
opposition nominated and elected
for six terms. Four years ago he
aspired to be Governor, but was
disappointed Of the nomination.
He took his defeat in a manly way,
and instead Of sulking like Achilles
in his tent he went into the can
vass and made more speeches than
any other man in the State for his
competitor, A. j. Montague.
When a boy working on his
fathers farm, he read the story of
Warren Hastings, in his day dreams
lad conceiving the purpose that
never forsook him. of restoring the
fallen fortunes of once noble
house and lineage, a purpose that
be cherished and pursued beneatht
the burning suns of India. The
story fred the soul of the plcw-
boy with an inspiration which he
has never let go; an inspiration
thai has beckoned him on through |
many wearisome day of toll at
his Office desk and in the COM
mittee.rooms of Congress, and has