○  russell conwell : acres of diamonds  ○

so long as it is, then the office-holder is but the servant of the people, and the bible says the servant cannot be greater than the master. the bible says, “he that is sent cannot be greater than him who sent him.” the people rule, or should rule; and if they do, we do not need the greater men in office. if the great men in america took our offices, we would change to an empire in the next ten years.

i know of a great many young women, now that woman’s suffrage is coming, who say, “i am going to be president of the united states some day.” i believe in woman’s suffrage, and there is no doubt but what is coming, and i am getting out of the way, anyhow. i may want an office by and by myself; but if the ambition of an office influences the women in their desire to vote, i want to say right here what i say to the young men, that if you only get the privilege of casting one vote, you don’t get anything that is worth while. unless you can control more than one vote, you will be unknown, and your influence so dissipated as practically not to be felt. this country is not run by votes. do you think it is? it is governed by influence. it is governed by the ambitions and the enterprises which control votes. the young woman that thinks she is going to vote for the sake of holding an office is making an awful blunder.

that other young man gets up and says, “there are going to great men in this country and in philadelphia.” “is that so? when?” when there comes a great war, when we get into difficulty through watchful waiting in mexico; when we get into war with england over some frivolous deed, or with japan or china or new jersey or some distant country. then i will march up to the cannon’s mouth; i will sweep up among the glistening bayonets; i will leap into the arena and tear down the flag and bear it away in triumph. i will come home with stars on my shoulder, and hold every office in the gift of the nation, and i will be great.” no, you won’t. you think you are

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