Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1912-08-23
SELF RESPECT MOST NEEDEI
Every Lad Is Architect of His Own
Fortune and Character.

Every Lad Is Architect of His Ow
Fortune and Character.
Dear Editor: | enjoy your writin
in the Weekly Observer. ! admir-
the square, manly way you take hol
of questions, both political and social
and though / am a W. j. b. and viii
son Democrat, yet | repeat that
affords me much pleasure to reat
what you so well make your pape
say, and were it only me, / woult
think it vain and selfish in me t.
speak of my feelings thus, but | an
certain many of your readers see tht
sound sense of your ideas as well as
In the issue Of August 1G, you toucf
a tender chord of human suffering
and human retribution; and the
"never had no chance" boy or mar
should be pitied But is there MOI
another side to examine and turn tC
the light of honest judgment? The
absolute neglect by too many of oul
boys to come out from among" and
to be flat-footed, honest, square and
ever respectful in doing it,
What | mean is that in every school
there are boys who study for the good
the study does; who act manly, up
right and fearless because they have
the determination to do so. Take
these same boys all along the journey
of life, and you will find the same
honest countenancc, the sturdy pur-
pose, and the manly honesty that de-
serves reward, and always has it.
No occasion presents itself or ever
hnrnGC fhpu1 iii fhnNt orr nI1t tsNNo
never had no chance Some declare
that such as they are fortunately pos
sessed of superior minds Christian in
fluences or intelligent and loving pa
rents. Many men who today will say
I'VE never had no chance" had all the
surroundings, environments, and in
fuences brought to bear upon them
in their early life that they needed
Many men who today occupy high
public positions, who enjoy the love,
and esteem, and confidence of their
fellow men, had little or no chance
to begin with, as compared with 9th
ers who have failed.
Is it then, only they of superior
brain force who succeed, who make
the journey safely who are men and
sturdy Industrious, thrifty men? Or
is ii superior 81 will"-ism and mo-
ism?
Take the average boy of the town
or city anywhere; the one who likes
to "go with the crowd" the one who
sticks the cigarette between his ears
because his companions do; who neg
lects his books because it seems to
him useless to pore over them while
there is so much amusement outside;
the boy in consequence who soon be-
comes disObedient to his parents,
troublesome in school, and ill-man-
nered in general; this boy will gather
bad habits as rapidly as sugar win |
gather ants; and he in every time of
rouble (and those times will come |
o him) will voice his crooked senti- |
nents by 81 never had no chance"
TO say that he had an inferior brain |
n the getaway" is no doubt incor-
ect. When we consider that about
per cent of the brain cells of the
vcrage head are developed and that
nywhere from 10 to IS per cent of
hem might be, makes il plain that
is no surety that the weight, com
osition or convolutions or anything
lse was the matter with our boys but
lst pure, single -harrelled negli-
erCe
Abraham Lincoln had neither sat
ifactory surroundings nor l take 1t.
ecessarily superior brain force; hut
ne thing he did have. and that was
enuine self-respect; and this same re-
poet must be possessed and cher
he'd by every lad today, in his home.
his school, and among his compan-
ms, If he would make for himself "a
lanca."
GROVE A. PETERSON.
Suver. Or, Aug. Il.