The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-08-24

afterwards would say that was go
ing to be a Baptist preacher.
My second ambition was to be q
farmer and raise pumpkins, and there
are doubtless q. great many people
| who are glad that until recently ]
have had q chance to realize my sec
ond ambition without having my agri-
cultural pursuits interrupted by off,
cial cares.
My third ambition was to be a law
yer. When / was a barefoot boy !
used to go to the courthouse and SIT
ting upon the steps leading up to the
bench upon which my father then sat
listened to the trial of cases and
looked forward to the time when
would be practicing at the bar. That
ambition guided me through my boy
hood days and my college days. /
studied law. was admitted to the bar.
practiced for a while In Illinois and
then located in Nebraska In remov-
ing from Illinois to Nebraska I was
Influenced solely by professional rea-
sons.
entered politics by accident and
remained there by design. I was NOM
mated for congress in 1890 because It
was not thought possible for a Demo-
crat to be elected. / was young and
new in the State. IL 1t had been a
Democratic district the honor would
have gone to some one older of lon
ger residence and more deserving. A
Republican paper said next morning
q fter the convention that a confidence
game had been played upon a young
man from Illinois and that ne had
been offered az a sacrifice upon the
party altar because he had not. been
in the State long enough to know the
tsIa NJ ff1n district
NV location IN Nebraska was due to
my acquaintance with a man whom
I learned to know In college, and
this acquaintance became more init
mate because of joke which L
PLAYED upon him when we were stu
dents. Tracing II back. step by step,
said one evening in Baltimore that
was elected 10 congress as a result
OF Joke that I played upon friend
in COLLEGE The gentleman who FOL
lowed me said that that was nothing.
that he had known men to go TO
congress as result of Joke they
had played upon an entire comnun-
ity.
Afv term I'm congress brought me
into contact with the. great political
and economic problems now demand
ing solution and ] have never since
tina: time been willing TO withdraw
myself from their study and discus
sion. and T offer no apology at this
time for being interested In the science
of government. IT ~ q noble science.
md one TO which the citizen must
give his attention. have no patience
with those who feel that they are too
good TO take part In politics. When
find n person who thinks that he Is
TOO good 10 take part in politics
find one who IS not quito good enough
L, deserve the blessings Of free gov
ernment.
The ideal dominates the life. deter
mines the character and f1res man s.
mace among his fellows. ! shall men
ton some instances that have come
under my own observation and as
speak Of them am sure you will
recall instances within your know
ledge where the ideal has In an open
and obvious way controlled the life.
Y have known labortng men who,
WORKING for wages. have been able
"a support themselves, acquire n
library and become acquainted with
the philosophers. orators and histor-
JAMS Of the world, and many OF them
have laid aside enough to crafty their
ambition for n college course. What
enables them % resist temptation and
press forward to the contamination OF
= high purpose? IT Is their Ideal OF
lEre. As have gore through the
country have found here and there
Young men~~sometimes the CONS OF
farmers sometimes the sons OF me-
chanlcs, sometimes the sons or mer-
chants, Sometimes the sons OF pro-
fessional rren~-young men VINO have
one characteristic IN common. namely,
that they have been preparing for
service. They have learned that ser
vice is the measure of greatness. and
though they have not always known