Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-25
CALLS HIMSELF A FAILURE.
Sad Statement From One Who
Thinks He Might Have Been Great.

from the chicago Hecofu- dcraio.
The following human document IL
placed at our disposal for what 1t may
be worth. We shall make no attempt to
pass judgment upon it, preferring to let
our readers do that for themselves.
81 am probably a failure. Do not has
tily conclude that need food or clothes
or that / may become q future ward OF
charity. have q little home which has
been paid for out of my earnings.
have three children whom have man
aged to send through college. and have
been able to save enough money to pro-
vide such things as shall neeo aiter my
earning power il gone. But l am PROD
ably q failure.
LET IL be understood that I have never
willingly or knowingly wronged any one;
that I have been a lav--abtding citiz<n;
that have kept myself free from debas-
ing habits: that 1 have always endeav-
ored to vote for the good of my country,
Of my state. and of my city. rather than
for the benefit OF any man or party, ana
that ] have tried to keep my heart as
clean as II 1t, like my face, were visible
to the world.
81 have no quarrel with people who do
not believe as l believe. acknowledge
that there may be things which do not
understand, that thing Is not neces-
sariiy wrong because / think II wrong.
and that q thing Is not made right mere
ly because / suppose it to be right. 1t is
probable. however, that the people VINO
fix our standards of success. the people
who are leaders in society, the people In
authority, would IL my case were brought
to their notice, consider me failure. l
have not accumulated a fortune. l nave
not caused my name to become familiar
to the public Few people consider my
favor worth counting If coin an cpl
gram Ii Is unnoticed, owing to my OBJ
security. and / have never been guest
Of honor.
II believe l am qualified to fill any
high position except that OF champion
heavyweight pugilist. but I have never
been called upon to accept executive re-
sponstbilities. For some reason-perhaps
because l have waited for unsolicited rec
ognition of my worth-nobody has ever
summoned me to assume command over
others or to demonstrate my ability In an
ONCE where sound judgment. clear-sight-
ed decisiveness, quick perception, cour-
ageous persistence. and initiative force
fuluess were believed to be necessary
parts Of the occupants equipment. l have
in an obscure. subordinate position done
my work skillfully and conscientiously,
and i have been permitted to remain in 1t
undisturbed.
II have not the slightest doubt that IL
because of some upheaval of nature or
through some other extraordinary agency
! had been hurled out or my little. un-
important corner into some high place
i should have been able to prove my
fitness as an Administrative genius, a
master Of strategy or a transcendent or
ganizer. But no upheaval has occurred:
I have waited patiently for the reward
which We are assured must come to him
who does well that which he has to do.
and / begin to see my superiors cast
furtive glances at me and shake their
heads. and in fancy I hear them say:
Poor old chap. He is a faithful, con-
scientious soul. but he has no talent. and
in a little while he will have outlived his
usefulness
$50 I must write myself down a failure.
II I did not do so the world would do
10 for me. have not been tried and
found wanting. II that had happened l
should have no reason to complain be-
cause the world has decided that I am
unworthy. ! have not been tried ut ali,
yet judgment has been passed upon me.
That Is my grievance"