The new era., 1910-04-21


overcome the greatest difficult NM
ties in life 1t would be worth telling MN
Loyalty to a set purpose, maintained NMN
resolutely through 25 years of bitter NMM
struggle. raised this poor blind Ameri- MMM
can boy to a seat in the most distn- NMW
guished law-making body in the world, MN\
although he sometimes lived on the W\MN
verge OF starvation. Nothing could ,N\E
shake his determination to be a SEN W.
ator. He had no eyes. but he had N~
tongue. He had no money, but he had <NNoH
courage. He was obscure. but he had MN
high ambition He could not see the
world about him. but he had a smile
to win II, perseverance to compel -
It's admiration and support .
few months after Mississippi was ~
readmftted to the Union in 1870 Thom- II
as Pryor Gore was born S0-acre
farm 30 miles from the nearest rail. NJ
way. W
Here the boy grew up among the
creeks and pines. stocky. gray-eyed little fel-
low. who could outrun any of his companions.
When he was six years old the village of Walthall
was established in the woods nearby and the
Gore family went there to live. Young Tom at
tended a small school set among the trees out
side of the village.
At the age of eight years the boys left eye
was blinded by an accidental blow from a stick
Three years later he was employed as a page in
the Mississippi senate and boarded at the house
OF Senator ]. a. George in jackson. One day,
while playing with crossbow. an arrow entered
r
In spite of his aficton young Gore managed
to stand at the head of his class in school and at
the age of II years entered normal school
which was opened. Here he gradually became
totally blind yet he mastered the high school
course.
While Gore was attending the high school his
closest companion was cassmate Charles H.
Pittman This youth used to read to him. One
day they found old volume Of the Congress
sional Record. Going out to the stable. the blind
student would stand for hours while Pittman read
to him the speeches of the lawmakers at Wash
ington.
During that winter Gore and his sister taught
school for few months All the while his moth
er. bedridden invalid. ,ead to him history biog-
raphy and other subjet ts connected with his po-
ltical plans, and he would sit by the bed. a
strange smile on his blind countenance, dreaming
and brooding and waiting for the day when he
might take part in the great battle Of politics like
other men.
His great chance came in the spring of 1891.
The Populist movement spreading rapidly
and he Joined 1t. In the state campaign for
legislature to elect United States senator he
took up the cause of Barksdale against George.
although boy he had lived In Georges house.
The blind orator shrank from conflict. He
even debated with Senator Money whose tongue
all Mississippi dreaded and who smiled majes-
tically when told that his opponent was "a poor.
blind schooboy." Senator Money declared that.
but for his antagonists blindness, he would hold
him personally responsible for his words-a
deadly thing to say in Mississippi. Gore prompt
= ly replied Let him then blindfold himself and
DVill meet him"
In September of that year he went to the law
school at Cumberland university, Tennessee. and
studied law for ten months. He Of the
leading six students in class Of AZ. This expe-
rence cost him 1881 and he returned to his Mis-
sssppi village with only 25 cents in his pocket,
in suit Of clothes he had worn for IA months.
He had almost been compelled to leave the law
school months before for the lack of suitable
clothing.
Yet his unquenchable ambition to reach the
United States senate grew intense as the
difficulties of his situation increased.
Cores father had taken up the practice of
law in Walthall and, on returning from the law
school in 1892 the youth welcomed
assistant in the Office. That year, too, he was a
presidential elector the Populist ticket at
tackled Grover Cleveland the stump and carried
his county.
o. The practice of law not inspiring
patton in Walthall. There actually As law
yers in that small, poor village The blind advo
cate tried few
After two years effort to earn living as
lawyer in the place of his birth Gore decided
to go to Texas.
Having saved S40 he started in April, 1894
for Texarkana, arriving there absolute stran-
ger with only $21 in his pocket. He secured
boarding house and promptly offered himself to
the Populist leaders for service in the approach
ing state and county elections. His political
speeches brought in money enough to pay his ex-
penses. but he found chance to practice law.
In the winter he went back to Walthall and for
year made another desperate effort to win success
lawyer. He was nominated for congress by
the Populists. but defeated. Yet his speeches
in the campaign attracted much attention.
/ On the last day of the year 1895 the sightless
and unsuccessful lawyer decided to abandon the