The Washington herald., 1909-02-07
By SENATOR BEvERIDGE.

world this should he the prayer Of al
who hope we'll for him. May he be hon.
orable. industrious and brave.
Personally. I believe in prayer How
ever you work il out. whatever the rea-
sons may be. the fact remains that tang
lbIe and definite results follow inteiii-
gent prayer. But prayer is not enough
Neither is counsel and advice. OF course,
this is a bromide commonplace, 50 an
cient that it is tiresOme. but I must state
il 10 complete the point l am making.
The ordinary human mind Is 50 con-
/ structed that there must be the influence
oF example. There are few Of Us who can
break new path: We require some
stronger one 10 blaze the trail for Us.
: We see the advantage of wise ccunsei.
Z hut that counsel needs 10 be vitaiized Dy
the knowledge that some fellow human
being has actually lived 10 and that IN
/ his living il he has proved its fruitful
/ ness for power and success. And SO Il Is
| that Lincoln life is practical help 10
/ young men
/ I suppose that no one any longer ques-
tons the fact that the fires Of ambition
I which. grew into a holocaust OF concur
ring purpose were lit IN the breast Of
,
( said that he pored over them 80 many
times that he almost knew them by heart
And no man can know how many
tongues have been set 70 music that
/ thrilled and commanded great public au-
1 diences. legislative bodies. and finally the
nations themselves by Young men having
read The old Greeks fascinating brochures
on Cicero and Demostbenes-
Becomes Type.
The truth is that every young man who
has the stuff in him IS searching ont the
Irves Of men Who have achieved things
throughout all history and Is determining
to do the like For says the worth
while young man 20 himself. what any
man has done can do. and when the
young man SAYS that he says rightly and
has taken the first step TO prove it. 50
Abraham Lincoln becomes TO us as much
of type and model As Caesar and
Alexander were TO Nap0ieOn-a new type
and q better model
This IS a naticn Of plain people-that IS
What Lincoln called Us. lie said God
must have liked the plain people; hs
made so many Of them" Much Of thc
vitality OF this republican, Of IL perhaps
is due 10 the fact that Up 70 the present
time We are Stiil near the soil and oul
strong men come from the grass roots
While Lincoin-S life cannot be an inspiTa
ton 20 young men Unhsppily born amons
/ the Idle rich and the so-calIed bette
class Of our country except in a vague
dilettanie and theoretical way. his 10
lis perfect mold into which IN
p Young men Of the plain people can pcu
. and run their forming characters and b
come LincolneSque- And that means Z
- become honorable. industrious and bray
i practical Idealists. the 5chievers Of vis
!, ions the workers out Of dreams.
= I ind that most Young men who GT
. beginning 70 10 things in literature. pol
r tics OF business first saw the light OF da
. in humble homee-jhey came I'D throus
4 hard Cundit.cas to the power which the
,r now WELD. and I am sure that there az
o million Young men on farms. in VI
II lagos and among the working classes {
> our citizens burning with an UneXpreSse
J. determination to make their lives eour
b. for something big something sweet ar
o. helpful and satisfying II is 30 sue
L Young men as this that Liucoln's life
IN A personal message divine word
4 guidance spoken by the mouth of &C
II himself through the deeds and charact'
n Of this mighty ard beloved American
le He Knew Poverty.
> For Lincoln. too. was n like case vii
= these young men OF whom I am TO
speaking-yes. and far worse cases II
TOO. knew. poverty. its bitterness. IT'S di
advantages. its cruel hsrdships; and v
- this poverty of which YOU young ma
are complaining. Lincoln turned into Il
steady determination and the element
aS virtues. Lincoln. too Ike YOU. your
lg man. had little opportunity for educati,
IN far less. indeed than the poorest ci
es cumstances Of any or YOU: and yet I
p sheer intelligence persistently applir
ii made his lack OF schooling the found
-, ton for a real and effective learnin
He. Ike YOU young man. had no chan
to acquire that polish which is SuppOs
20 come from the mingling with G
4 called cultured people: and yet he W
n wise enough 10 see that this polish a.
culture so priced ny those who do n
ch 20 deeply into human strength in mo
IS cases than il improves conduct Inge
81 soil said A great half truth when he j
n Clsred that colleges are places whe
ds brickbats are polished and diamonds q
n dimned. That Is not entirely true.
is course. The college IS not to he sTeer
81 at. even BY this great master Of e.
ut qCence BY all means get collie
'st training IF YOU can. But II you have
in choose between having your energi
rs tanned. your enthusiasms quenched. a
10 your self-conhGence hOneycombed vi
doubt on the one hand. and a cole
IN, education on the other hand. turn frS
iU- the latter as YOU would from an attrs
ot tive but destroying drug. When a IN
an loses his enthusiasm he has begun 70
p IN soul
nc I say this word to parents and 70
= people Of mature years: IF you have
n