The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-05-18
SOLID CHUNK OF WISDOM


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John G.. Carlisle, ex-representative
in congress, ex-speaker OF the house
of representatives, ex-senator, and ex-
secretary Of the treasury, but. who will
never be Eek" or out OF the kindly re-
gard OF the men of all parties who
knew him in the days of his political
activities, has just been heard from in
a few words Of wisdom delivered al
Louisville, the chief city OF the state
which honored him in many ways by
just recognition Of his great ability. As
our readers are presumably aware, Mr..
law at the close of Mr.. Cleveland's sec
ond term, a period that will always be
memorable in our political annals
Since his removal to the metropolis he
has let politics alone and attended
carefully to his work in the courts. A
few days ago he went to Louisville 10
argue a case, and a reporter Of the
C~ourier-Journal asked him: From
which wing Of the party do you think
the Democrats should choose their next
candidate for PRESIDENT" And Mr..
Carlisle answered:
Mind your own business" is an ak
ION that cannot be toO strongly i'm
pressed on the mind of every young
man, no matter what may be his social
status or what career he may nave
marked out for himself. Mr.. Carlisle's
example shows him worthy of ront
1911 -~-f$:o- ~ tho NJ D Go
ciety. There are men who take natu-
rally to that plan Of life, who habitual-
ly refrain from putting their fingers in
the business of others, and quietly and
persistently attend to their own af-
fairs. But there are, perhaps a greater
| number Of men, young, middie-aged,
and old, who cannot Or will not refrain
from meddling, generally prompted by
| kind intention, with business hat is
outside of their sphere of duty. Occa-
| ~sionally this unfortunate propensity is
| cured by unpleasant experiences, but
| there are not a few obdurate. ncur-
| able cases. The nan "whO knows 1t
| ALL" and deems himself all sufficient
| for all occasions and especially for
| emergencies, is a familiar figure in all
| employments, public and private. More
| men achieve failure by knowing too
| much and trying to do too many things
| to which they are not called than by
| the opposite course.
The typical "know-it-all" man, were
! he at the head of a department OF The
| Federal government, would be resent
| full of any proffer Of advice from any
| quarter. If even a friend ventured tc
| give him a kindly hint, that friend
would encounter either a hot blast OF
indignation or a larger area OF GOODNESS
But put Mr.. KnOw-It-All in a humble
position, say in an inferior clerkship ii
one of the executive departments, ano
inside of a month he would be waiting
in the corridor for the head OF the de
partment, to tell him how this, that, CT
the other thing ought to be managed
AS the head of a department, MI
KnoW-It-All would Obstruct and de
range public business by needlessly In
terfering with clerks in little ROUTINE
details: as clerk or messenger NJ
would always be reaching up to get his
hands on matters not pertaining IN an!
way to his official duty. Dominated BY
a-deep and abiding sense of his capac
tons, this inflated parsonage is a nul
sance at all times and in n a~vocatiou
robust doubt of other mems qualltca
ity for usefulness, and by an equal!
Washington Post.