Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1908-07-05
LESSONS FROM CLEVELAND'S
LIFE.

Many lessons have been drawn dur
ing the past week from the life OF
Grover Cleveland And the one that
is most commented on, next to his tid-
elity to conviction, is the persistency
that dominated his life. The knowledge
of right was backed by the unalterable
determination to do right. In his rug
ged make up there lay as an underly-
success when the opportunity offered
the trait of firmness, or stubbornness
as some called it, or persistency as
the critics of today are characterizing
it. He laid out path and adhered to
it, regardless of criticisms, of condem-
nation, of abuse, of villification. When
ton was correct, that a certain policy
was the proper one to pursue, he be-
came glued to it. There was nothing
of the unstable and wavering in his
composition He might be wrong, in
the eyes of others, but unless it could
be proven to him that he really was
no human power could switch his
feet from the path along which he
was walking.
His persistency was born in him,
in all likelihood, but was cultivated by
the conditions of his early life, when
hardships came that necessitated his
facing the world and struggling with
it for a livelihood for himself and
others. Like other great men, Cleve-
land recognized the good that flows
from adversely when properly Crap
pied with.
Among the papers published after
his resumption of private life was
one concerning the uses of adversely,
in which poverty is portrayed as a
stimulant. Writing in the third per-
son, he is thought to have told in this
paper his own life story. He said in
the beginning:
1T can hardly be admitted as a
general proposition that adversely is a
ever, as it cannot be shaken off, but
constantly claims joint void occu-
pancy with us, a philosophical effort
has been made to find some factor of
compensation in it's unpleasing famil-
iarity"
With this as premise, ne proceed
ed with a paper instinct not only with
good counsel, but full of hope and en-
couragement. This was typical of the
man. He had met his obstacles, and
had overcome them. At least they
had vanished before him. And how
ever much circumstances may have
contributed to this, there is no doubt
but the sturdy, unwavering determin
alton of Cleveland entered largely into
the force that uplifted him to the
point where he was called man of
destiny"
The paper that suggested these
thoughts closed with the following
which seems to fit with the utmost
nicely the history of Cleveland's
achievements:
The best quality of success is not
oftenest found in relationship with
affairs ordinarily considered the most
practical and material The strife to
put ones self in the way of acquiring
a fortune, and gaining popular praise
and adulation, or power, or even
fame, involves an element of self
seeking and selfishness which cannot
fail to cheaper the heroism of the
struggle. But the young man who en-
tiers upon the contest for the sole
purpose of fitting himself for a life
that will be useful and valuable to
others; who loves success only as a
means of doing good, and who sees as
the pleasant fruit of victory an in
creased opportunity for leading his
fellowmen to higher plane of
conduct and to purer moral
and mental atmosphere, will achieve |
a career free from any faint of sell |
fishness, and whose grandeur will |
shine as bright light guiding those /
who seek self-sacrificing human vir- |
tue, and making manifest every fea-
ture of the sweet use of adversely.