Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-24

AaNS dollars and cents
"Y1EAH If YOU would know
fMhI1 the pecuniary val
SI 1A ne OF an IDEAL go
IA k<NA al into the home of
INV some man of great
wealth who has only son; go in that
home when the son has gone downward
in a path of dissipation until the father
no longer hopes for his reform, and then
ask the father what an ideal would
have been worth that would have made
a man out of his son instead of q wreck.
He will tell you that all the money that
he has or could have he would gladly
give for an ideal of life that would
turn his boys steps upward instead Of
downward.
In ideal is above price. 1t means the
difference between success and failure
the difference between a noble life and
disgraceful career-and it sometimes
means the difference between life and
death. Have you noticed the increasing
number of suicides l speak not of
those sad cases In which the reason de-
throned leaves the hand no guide, but
rather of those cases. increasing in num-
Der, where the person who takes his life
finds nothing worth living for. When l
read of one of these cases / ask myself
whether it is not caused by a false ideal
of life.
If one measures life by what others
do for him he is apt to be disappointed
for people are not likely to do as much
for him as he expects. One of the most
difficult things in life is to maintain the
parity between ones opinion of his own
merits and the opinion that others have
of him. If. | repeat a man measures
lie by what others do for him, he is apt
TO be disappointed, but if he measures
is no time for despair. If he measures
life by its ,accumu tons. these usually
fall short of his expectations but if he
measures life by the contribution which
ne makes to the sum of human happi-
ness, his only disappointment is in not
finding time to do all that his heart
prompts him to do. Whether he spends
his time trying to absorb from the world.
only to have the burden of life grow
daily heavier or spends his time in an
effort to accomplish something of real
value to the race. depends upon his ideal
The ideal must be far enough above
US 10 keep us looking up toward it all
the time, and it must be far enough in
advance of us to keep us struggling to-
ward 1t to the end of life. 1t is a very
poor ideal that one ever fully realizes,
and il Is great misfortune for one to
overtake his ideal, for when he does his
progress stops.
The ideal is permanent: it does not
change. Therefore 1t Is so important
that the ideal shall be a worthy one. 1
speak as parent to parents, and teach
ers will indorse what 1 say when I de-
clare that one of the most important
things in dealing with the young Is to
get the person to take firm hold of
hunger again; give him clothing and his
clothing Will wear out. but give him a
high ideal and that ideal will be with
him through every waking hour. lifting
him to higher plane in life and giving
him broader conception of his rela-
tons to his fellows. Plans may change;
circumstances will change plans. Each
one of us can testify to this. Even am
billions change. for circumstances will
change ambitious.
II YOU will pardon reference to my
own case. have had three ambitions
two SO far back that / can scarcely re-
can hardly forget 1t. My first ambition
was TO be Baptist preacher. When
was a small boy If anybody asked me
what I intended to be I always replied:
"A Baptist preacher" But my father
took me one evening to see an INNER
sion and upon reaching home l asked
him II 1t would be necessary to go down
irto that pool of water in order to be a
Eaptist preacher. He replied that it
would. and 1t il tradition in our family
lat 1 never afterward would say that
IS going to be a Baptist preacher.
Ny second ambition was to be a farm
er and raise pumpkins and there are
doubtless a great many people who are
glad that until recently 1 have had a
chance to realize my second ambition
without having my agricultural pursuits
interrupted by official cares
When l was barefoot boy / used to go
TO the courthouse and, sitting 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 I would be practicing at
the bar. That ambition guided me
through my boyhood days and my col
1ege days. / studied law, was admitted
10 the bar and practiced for q while in IL
iinois and then located In Nebraska In
removing from Illinois to Nebraska l
was Influenced solely by professional rea-
sons.
entered politics by accident and re-
manned there by design. 1 was nomi-
mated for Congress in 1880 because 1t was
not thought possible for a democrat to
be elected I was young and new in the
trtct the honor would have gone to
some one older. Of longer residence and
more deserving. republican paper
said next morning after the convention
a
upon q young man from Illinois and
that he had been offered as sacrifice
upon the party altar because he had not
been in the state long enough to know
the political complexion of the district.
+
Ny location In Nebraska was due to my
acquaintance with man whom 1 learn
ed to know I'm college, and this acquaint-
ence became more intimate because of a
Joke which / played upon him when we
were students. Tracing it back, step by
STEP said one evening in Baltimore that
was elected to Congress as result
of joke that played upon a friend in
college The gentleman who followed 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
community.
My term in Congress brought me into
contact with the great political and eco
and / have never since that time been
study and discussion, and l offer no
apology at this time for being interested
in the science of government. 1t is a
noble science, and one to which the citi-
zen must give his attention. / have no
patience with those who feel that they
are too good to take part In politics.
When find person who thinks that he
Is too good 10 take part in politics. I find
one who is not quite good enough to de-
serve the blessings OF free govern