Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1909-08-18
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Observations by Clarence

The newspaper are having con-
siderable fun with a young man
named Eberhard, who, if we are
not mistaken. resides in Mankato.
This same Eberhard is afflicted
with the idea that he would make a
mighty good governor for this state
of ours, and he has been industri.
ously endeavoring to call the atten-
ton OF the people of the state to
The fact. In 1906 he was nominated
for lieutenant governor, principally
because he was from the Second
district, and it was necessary to
give that district something. Hav-
ing proven a nice, adaptable tool
for the brewery interests, he was of
course renominated in 1908, and
elected because he was on the right
ticket. Eberhard has always had
the idea that he was some pump
kins, and these elections served to
inflame the bump of vanity in his
head until he felt sure that nature
in creating him had in mind the
governorship.
Some unfeeling wretch started
the rumor that Eberhard did not
amount to very much from an in
tellectual standpoint. This aroused
the ire of the Mankato statesman in
embryo, and he resolved to forever
put an end to such rumors by pro-
ducing his college record and show
ing that he was an unusually bright
youngster. In spite of the tang of
sauerkraut attached to his name,
Eberhard is a Swede, and he is a
graduate Of G. A. College of St.
Peter, the records showing that he
had standing of over 80 per cent
in every subject, from rhetoric to
religion. That ought to have been
a corker; but such is the unfeeling
nature of lots of people that the ex-
hibit, instead Of producing a sigh
of awe and reverence, brought out
a loud and derisive guffaw.
The fact is that most people re-
cognize that schools cannot give an
examination in COMMON SENSE,
which is the most important ele-
ment in the makeup of the success
full man in every walk of life. The
man who has that element will have
it developed along with his other
faculties by course of study, but
if he lacks it he may study till he
possesses all the lore of the ages,
and may pass the most brilliant ex-
aminations, and still be nothing but
a fool. It is a matter of fact that
in many studies memory plays the
most important part in passing a
good examination, and memory
does not mean intellect. But even
in studies that would seem to re-
quire close reasoning power there
seem to be some peculiar develop
ments Of brains that enable stu
dents to pass we'll without much or
binary sense. The brightest mathe-
matician I have ever known did not
have enough business ability to run
a peanut stand. Given this pecu-
liar mathematical development. to-
gether with an abnormal develop
ment Of language and memory, the
shallowest fool could pass a bril-
liant examination in school, and be
a dismal failure everywhere else
unless he struck some job in which
those special developments were the
essentials. Examination records
show that a student has done the
work required: whether or not it
has been of any practical use to him
will appear later when he tackles
the lessons of life.
Of course standing of over 80
per cent in religion is remarkable
thing in public man of today, and
am inclined to think that if the