The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-08-14

ate IN his ability to inspire to higher
ideals, to cleaner methods. His life
story has been one of the greatest
sermons preached on the American
continent since Lincoln was assassi-
mated.
No other living American has ever
made so many rich young men
ashamed Of their idle, useless lives,
SO ashamed of taking all the good
things Of life and giving nothing in
return, or has aroused SO many OF
those idle rich with a determination
to do something themselves instead
of depending upon what somebody
else did before them. He has a pc
culiar faculty of drawing men away
from the crooked, Of showing them
the beauty of the right, the superior
ity of square dealing.
Has Shown Politicians q Better Way.
Who can ever estimate how much
his influence has done toward purg-
ing politics and elevating the Ameri-
can ideal. He has changed the view
point of many statesmen and poll
ticians. He has shown them a new
and better way. He has made many
of them ashamed of the old methods
of grating and selfish greed. He
has held up a new ideal, shown them
that unselfsh service to their coun-
try is infinitely nobler than an ambi-
ton for self-aggrandizement. Amer
lean patriotism has a higher mean
ing to-day, because of the example
politicians and statesmen have adopt
ed cleaner methods and higher aims
because of his influence. There is
no doubt that tens of thousands Of
young men in this country are clean
er in their lives, and more honest and
ambitious to be good citizens, be-
cause there Isl a man in the White
House who always stands for the
"square DEAL" for civic righteous
ness, foT American manhood.
A rich life is worth a thousand,
times more to the world than a rich
bank account. Who would have
thought OF asking how mueh money
Lincoln left? Yet the whsle world
was richer for his life and. example.
was a bankrupt, save for what
he. earned by his Memoirs. which he
..wrBte or his deattl-bed, but every
citizen. feels richer to-day
because Grant lived
Who can estimate. the influence of
President Eliot in. enriching and up
lifting our national ideals and stand
ards through the thousands OF stud
lents who go out from. Harvard Uni
'verslty? TIE tremendous earnest
mess and nobility &C character Of
Phillips Brooks raised every ons. who
came within his influence to higher
His great earaestness in, try
ing to- lead people up to his lofty
ideals swept everything before. it.
One could not, help feeling while lis
to him and watching him. that
there was a mighty triumph OF char
%.acter, a. erands expression Of superb
Such men as these increase
our faith in the race, in. the possible
ties Of the gradeur of the coming
man. We are prouder of our coun-
try because OF such standards.
The Power of the Ideal.
1t Is the ideal. that determines the
!direction. of the life: And what a
grand sight. what an inspiration. are
those men. who sacrifice the dollar to
the ideal!
Does any enc doubt that had Presi-
dent Roosevelt chosen. a business
career he could easily have made
himself a great national figure in the
commercial world and. several times
a miiliDnaiaaaa
II he had started. out with the de-
termination. to accumulate as mach
money as he could, insSsad Of to
make as much Of a man of hinself
and, to render as much service as he
could to the American people. who
could estimate the loss to our Amer
lean ideals?
Fortunately for this nation. Mr..
Roosevelt does not believe in the
great motto, ITO Get and To Have"
but in the greater one, ITO Be and
To Do" He believes that thu greet
blight and malady Of our time is the
fortune without a man behind it.
He believes that the men without
principle " character, who through
their money WELD a vast influence for
evil, destroying American ideals, de-
%bauching and demoralizing the poor
'er people. whom they exploit and use
for their advantage in all sorts of
ways, r the greatest menace to our
American institutions-to our civili-
cation.
1t is a noticeable fact that all such
men-tricky, dishonest men, especi-
ally Scheming nOliticians mon who