Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-04-07

Heredity, environment, natural ad-
vantages or disadvantages, the thing
called hard luck" or good luck
these are in reality excuses-not
causes for what a man makes OF
himself in this world Of ours.
The man who is born with a "Ai-
yer spoon" In his mouth and he who
comes into the world with the fight
for existence before him may each
rise to the heights In our country or
they may each descend into the very
depths. =
It depends upon the man.
It's the easiest thing In the world
for the man who inherits the good
things Of life to yield to the tempta-
ton to take 1t easy" to lead a
s~pineiess, self-indulgent life and die
without a single constructive accom-
plishment to mark his passing. Some
do. It Is the easiest thing In the
world for the one who has to work
out his w salvation to yield to dis
enlargement and to lead the unhap-
py life OF the knocker or the agitator
blaming his condition in life on
everything but himself. Some do.
But history Is full of others from
both these two classes Of men who
have risen above their ~selfishness,
their passions, their disbursements
and disappofntments and together
helped TO make the world and civil
ization what It is today.
Take the case of the two greatest
men that America has given birth to
men who Jointly stand for all that
the word Americanism holds-men
whose memory is Jointly revered and
honored In the humblest homes and
hearts and in the greatest.
George Washington was Of the
type of so-called ~aristocrat. His
family, among the earliest settlers in
America, was deicendent from the
English nobility. The boy was born
with every natural advantage. His
parents were among the wealthiest
advantages, the income from large
estates, a life OF ease was his for the
taking.
against England 1t would have been
the easiest course for George Wash
ington to have thrown In his lot with
the king or remained neutral or in
active watching the progress of the
AOAA6 JCdLb VI OdlllG 1EOHl ll6 cOIQ-
Portable security of his Virginia
plantations. But we all know what
Washington did.
Abraham Lincoln was born in a
cabin in the wilderness of Kentucky.
HIS parents were wretchedly poor,
he started with no estates, no in
come, no hereditary advantages back
OF him and with environment and
hard luck firmly set against him.
And we all know what Abraham
Lincoln did.
It's the man that counts.
The fundamental history of these
two men a be matched over and
over again in the history Of other
men who have contributed to the
growth and well being of our coun-
try and its people. Thousands and
thousands there are who. like Wash
ington, began life with every natural
advantage and have achieved the
fullest measure of success and USE
fplness to their country by their own
efforts and because of the quality
of manhood that is in them.
Thousands and thousands have
started like Lincoln, with what
might appear q hopeless outlook
a negative chance and have gone on
to success through hard work and
determination. You know men of
both classes and so do /. for the
country is full of them and together
they form the backbone of Ameri-
ca. mo chance for me-" "He's a
lucky devil" You gotta have a
pull" Forget thoughts like these.
It's the man that counts.
What Does 'Reconstruction" Mean?
The world suffers from the need
of reconstruction. Reconstruction
means constructive upbuilding, not
disorder and destruction; 1t mean
the maximum OF productive effort
on the part Of all. not the skinny
measurements of effort to ft ones
ideas of what is due in return for
the wages received.
To the Man Employed
The agitators who are always
ready to stir UP trouble are not
really interested in high wages. They
are usually interested in hindering
the man who pays high wages.
High wages can continue to be
paid If business warrants It and the
American workman can help make
business profitable by becoming more
eficient-ioafing less on the Job
and by insisting that nothing IS
wasted that he can save. A large
item of cost In production Is waste
and shoddy work. 1t Is not the mill
or factory that makes high wages
neither Is It the management-it 10
the men empioyed-and they make
them by careful conscientious work.