South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-10-03
HARDSHIP IN ADVANTAGE?

Was IL more difficult for Gladstone born wealth.
10 achieve a character that made him servant
OF the common good than it for Abraham Lin
coin?
This interesting question raised BY Dr. Lip
pncott for his Sunday School class yesterday and
answered with the opinion that Gladstone's was the
harder task.
They were born in the year and each left
his impress upon civilization The contrast Of their
early days could not be striking.
Gladstone came from atmosphere Of wealth
The mere problem of living was never presented 10
him He had no worries as to his daily bread and
his education was obtained without effort sacri-
fee He had every aid 10 his ambitions that the
purse could buy.
Lincoln battled his way into eternal fame against
the greatest of Obstacles His political enemies
called him the rail splitter" and the term of con-
tempt has been turned OF endearment and
admiration
His knowledge Of history. Of law. of literature
came only after the hardest OF sacrifices His knoWl-
edge Of life came from contact with It in the raw
and from experiences shared by those of poverty
Are the temptations OF luxury stronger than those
Of poverty?
Does il require a will TO follow the right
course and keep clear light of the soul burning
when ease lures and when necessity does not drive
than when life presents each day battle, fresh
terror a grinding. gruelling experience?
Is it more difficult for the man with no thought
of his ordinary necessities to keep to the clear path
Of conscience than for him who must first take from
the world the OF life?
There will probably few who will with
the doctrine that comfort and freedom from worry
about ordinary affairs hampering influences or
that they require stronger character and deeper
conviction on the part of their possessor than he
who must first fight TO live.
Every public school in the land is maintained
upon the theory that education for all is an asset to
civilization that it be available for the
poorest as we'll as the richest
Every invention has for final objective the
increase Of human comfort and greater leisure for
the great OF men and women.
What would. Lincoln, studying beneath an electric
light instead of a pine torch. enabled to
al his own desire into all the history of the past,
freed to pursue has Unsuitable for knowl
edge without fear that the next day he might not
eat have become?
Is it not possible that he would have climbed to
even greater heights than he attained?
The entire trend civilization is directed towards
that state Of society wherein all will have such
plenitude of the essentials OF life that they may
clear their minds and lives for adventure in the
.ealms of thinking. of acting for the common veal.
If devoting themselves the development of mind
and heart.
Fear OF poverty has driven shells OF
seIhshness. Actual poverty is held responsible for
moral decay and for reyerson into the jungle theory
OF life.
Perhaps the real answer lies in the fact that
neither poverty wealth are actual obstacles to
him whose heart holds the secret OF true success
and enshrnes ideal that is above any environ
ment
1t IS hne least, TO think that Lincoln, born in
palace. would still have been Lincoln and that
Gladstone a hut would have remained Glad
stone; that true greatness is much matter OF
personal determination that obstacle or tempta-
ton can stop him whose faith is hrm and whose
eye Is clear 10 real values.