Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-15
IF YOU READ THIS
Think THINGS OVER
"A Word to the Wise Is Sufficient
Your Attention, Please
Here's the Word:
A MIGHTY LITTLE WORD IS IF
Upon Present Activity Depends
Future Success Ponder,
and Then Act!
A MIGHTY LITTLE WORD is If

IF-just little word of two letters
(and both thin ones at that), but how
much 1t means! What history is often
hinged around it! What sorrow and
JOY it sometimes expresses.
IF-countless things have this moral
for their pivot.
Tits a rock upon which success is
built or the rock upon which life's ship
is wrecked.
'IF / had only known" How often
have you heard this pathetic plea.
III (here's where we get to practical
philosophy you are candidate in The
Herald's $4,000 voting contest, or nave
a friend who is a candidate, you nave
already seen how frequently If man
ages to bob up in everything.
If, perhaps, you had cast more votes
during past periods you would nave Sc
cured a high prize.
If, however. you were successful you
know that your success was due to
your having done your very best
1T you had not seen as many voters
as you did you would have been among
the "also rams" great word, this
"if'-a word which either shouts in
joy with you or in fiendish glee at you.
Whether it's with you" or "at you
all depends; 'if"-etc.
If you are candidate in The
Herald's voting contest you should be
doing some serious thinking. You nave
seen valuable prizes go for very small
vote totals-you have seen candidates
fail by very small margins. a dlffer-
ence of one yearly subscription meant
a difference of over $50 in prizes recent
ly In simpler words, one candidate
won prize valued at $50 more than the
next special prize because he stood just
one subscription higher than his near
est competitor. Rather provoking TO
lose out on such splendid competition
by such a small margin. What could
the less fortunate candidate say-what
did she say?
sIF / had only got one more!" On,
tantalzing, maddening "IF!"
Similar examples are plentiful. The
history OF The Herald's contest is al
ready all to plentifully sprinlsied with
such incidents. How about the future
You, whether you're a candidate or
simply some candidates lieutenant, are
you facing the question squarely? Are
you going to make "IF" laugh with
you or are you going 10 permit II 10
laugh at you
1T you do everything in your power
to make your vote total Cor your
= favorites) grow as high as possible as
fast as possible the outcome is not IN
doubt. While wrestling with the II
problem go over the IOllOWinS uetdiiS
carefully and then use your best judg-
ment and put forth your best efforts:
1T the contest closed tonight where
would you stand what would you get
IF you see every friend as quickly
as possible wouldn't it put you whole
lot higher in the list?
IF you saw all your friends wouldn't
they gladly see their friends and get
their votes for you?
If you began doing this at once
couldn't you secure the votes of five
friends today?
IF you carried out this suggestion
wouldn't that mean the votes of ten
people Immediately?
IF you did this every day wouldn't
the next few days see your total IN
creased tenfold land then some?"
IF all this meant $500 home or a
but there is where "if" ceases to be a
paragraph opener because there's no
'if' about it-this means $500 home
or a $33S0 Knox tourabout, or double
trip to the orient or something propor-
tionately splendid for you. Just an
hours telephoning every day or per-
sonal calls whenever you have some
spare moments-this is all that is
necessary. What more remunerattve,
pleasant work can you ask? Now to
work in earnest! Here's to "IF' for
pointing out a way to active success
and success is after all nothing more
than having the world laugh with you
instead of at you!