Page:Don Coronado through Kansas.djvu/130

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119
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GIVE A MAN A CHANCE. 119 ,1 ... .■ class. Let a tiller of the soil and a keeper of stock lie in bed and expect a man to get up at five o'clock and attend to the work of the day; let the husband- man neglect to superintend, and he will soon find things going wrong. Of course there are exceptions, to this rule. i Did not the South African War which England recently had on her hands, demonstrate the incompetency of the average commander of the British forces? Men selected to lead from those who are nobles by birth are not as effective as generals- from the masses, for no other reason than that they have fulfilled the requirements of the Missourian who insisted upon being shown. Surely Generals Roberts and Kitchener showed the feather-bed, pampered meii with influence; generals they were, N. G. Then with this experience, let the United States raise men from the ranks and if it expects to continue to be great, it must see to it that there are no p<atricians or plebeians but that all are American Citizens. Take another illustration: U. S. Grant had struggled against financial adversity. It seemed he' could not get into his proper Sphere; and yet, when he was given a chance, see what he accomplished. Why, his name wiU be used in military schools and circles for all time to teach the cadet the art of wax; but that which should immortalize this man is the difference betweeii. him and the Caesars and Napoleon-; these last were not willing to become humble citizens, but used their power to make them- selves rulers, whereas, he who so magnanimously