The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-24
The Value Of An Ideal
By WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN

DN "
ing of room in his house from which
he had planned to hang himself. And
what deferred him?
A change came in his ideals. He was
born again, he became a new creature.
and for more than Is years, clad in the
garb of a peasant and living the simple
life of peasant, he preached unto all
the world a philosophy that rests upon
the doctrine Thou shalt love the Lord
thy God with all thy heart and thy neigh
Dor as thyself" There is scarcely a civil
lied community in all the world where the
name of Tolstoy is not known and where
his Influence has not been felt. He made
such an impression upon the heart of.
Russia and the world that while some of
his books were refused publication in Rus
sia and denied importation from abroad.
and while people were prohibited from
circulating some of the things that he
wrote yet with million men under arms
the government did not lay its hands upon
Tolstoy.
Let me add another Illustration of
complete change in that ideal In coll
lege l become acquainted with student
IA years my senior, and learned the story
of his life For some years he was
tramp, going from place to place without
fixed purpose or habitation One night
he went by accident into place where
revival was in progress and he was
not only converted but he decided to be a
minister I watched him as he worked
his way through college, doing chores to
earn his board and lodging, working on
Saturdays in store, and during the sum-
mer months at anything he could find to
dc. I watched him as he worked his way
through the theological seminary, and
then I watched him as he preached the
gospel until he died, and I never knew
man more consecrated to a high pur-
pose. The change came in his life as in
the twinkling of an eye. Could anything
1,a r,oro
In the journey from the cradle to the
grave We encounter nothing so marvel
Gus as the change in the ideals that
works a revolution in the life itself, and
there is nothing In materiallsm to ex-
plain this change.
1t makes a great deal of difference to
the individual what his ideal is, and it
also images a difference to those about
him. If you have man working for
you, it makes a great deal of difference
to you whether he is watching you all
the time to see that you give him the
best possible pay for his work, or watch
ing himself a little to see that he gives
And we are all working for somebody.
Instead of working by the day and re-
ceiving our pay at night. or instead of
working by the month and receiving our
pay at the end of the month. we may be
in independent business and receiving a
compensation fixed by competition, but
If we are not living a life of idleness we
must be working for somebody and it
makes a great deal of difference to So
ciety whether we are simply bent upon
absorbing as much as possible from the
world, or are trying to give a dollars
worth of service for a dollars worth of
pay. There are some who regard it as
a discreditable thing to engage in pro-
ductive labor There are places where
they count with pride the number OF
generations between themselves and
honest toll. If I can leave but one
thought with you, let it be this-that we
must all have food and clothing and
shelter, and must either earn these things
or have them given to us. and any self
respecting young man ought to be
ashamed to sponge upon the world for his
living and not render unto the world
valuable service in return.
There is abroad in the land a specula-
tive spirit that is doing much harm. In
stead of trying to earn a living. young
men are bent on making a fortune Not
content with the slow accumulations Of
honest toll, they are seeking some short
cut to riches, and are not always scrup-
ulous about means employed. The get
rioh-quick" schemes that spring up and
swindle the public until they are discov-
cred and driven out to prey upon the
speculative spirit find all their victims
thing for nothing.
What we need today is an ideal of life