A-Message-To-Garcia

1AMessageToGarciaELBERTHUBBARDpennedhisclassicessay,AmessagetoGarciainonehourafteradinnertimediscussionwithhisfamily.Atdinner,Hubbard’sson,Bert,claimedthatthetrueheroofaparticularSpanish-AmericanwarbattlewasRowan-amessengerwhobraveddeathbycarryinganotebehindthelinestoGarcia,theleaderoftheinsurgents.TheessayoriginallyraninHubbard’smagazine,ThePhilistine,inFebruary,1899.Inspiredbyitsmessage,GeorgeDanielsoftheNewYorkCentralRailroadaskedpermissiontoreprintanddistribute500,000copies.PrinceHilakoff,DirectorofRussianRailways,readoneofDaniels’sreprintsandhadittranslatedintoRussian.AMessagetoGarciawasdistributedtoeveryoneofhisrailroademployees.TheRussianmilitarythenpickeduptheball:eachRussiansoldierwenttotheJapanesefrontwasgivenacopy.TheJapanesefoundtheessayinthepossessionsoftheRussianprisonersandsubsequentlyhadittranslatedintoJapanese.OnanorderoftheMikado,acopywasgiventoeachmemberoftheJapanesegovernment.Ultimately,fortymillioncopiesofAMessageToGarciawerepublished.AMessageToGarcia-byElbertHubbardInallthisCubanbusinessthereisonemanstandsoutonthehorizonofmymemorylikeMarsatperihelion.WhenwarbrokeoutbetweenSpainandtheUnitedState,itwasverynecessarytocommunicatequicklywiththeleaderoftheInsurgents.GarciawassomewhereinthemountainvastnessofCuba-nooneknewwhere.Nomailnortelegraphmessagecouldreachhim.ThePresidentmustsecurehiscooperation,andquickly.Whattodo!SomeonesaidtothePresident,“There’safellowbythenameofRowanwhowillfindGarciaforyou,ifanybodycan.”RowanwassentforandgivenalettertobedeliveredtoGarcia.How“thefellowbythenameofRowan”tooktheletter,sealeditupinanoil-skinpouch,strappeditoverhisheart,infourdayslandedbythenightoffthecoastthecoastofCubafromanopenboat,disappearedintothejungle,andinthreeweekscameoutontheothersideoftheIsland,havingtraversedahostilecountryonfoot,anddeliveredhislettertoGarcia-arethingsIhavenospecialdesirenowtotellindetail.ThepointthatIwishtomakeisthis:Mc-KinleygaveRowanalettertobedeliveredtoGarcia;Rowantooktheletteranddidnotask,“Whereishe?”BytheEternal!Thereisamanwhoseformshouldbecastindeathlessbronzeandthestatueplacedineverycollegeoftheland.Itisnotbook-learningyoungmenneed,vertebrae(查无此词)whichwillcausethemtobeloyaltoatrust,toactpromptly,toconcentratetheirenergies:dothething“CarryamessagetoGarcia!”GeneralGarciaisdeadnow,butthereareotherGarcias.Nomanwhohasendeavoredtocarryoutanenterprisewheremanyhandswereneeded,buthasbeenwell-nighappalledattimesbytheimbecilityoftheaverageman-theinabilityorunwillingnesstoconcentrateonathinganddoit.Slipshodassistance,foolishinattention,dowdyindifference,andhalf-heartedworkseemtherule;andnomansucceeds,unlessbyhookorcrookorthreatheforcesorbribesothermentoassisthim;ormayhap,GodinHisgoodnessperformsamiracle,andsendshimanAngelofLightforanassistant.2You,reader,putthismattertoatest:Youaresittingnowinyouroffice-sixclerksarewithincall.Summonanyoneandmakethisrequest:“PleaselookintheencyclopediaandmakeabriefmemorandumformeconcerningthelifeofCorreggio.”Willtheclerkquietlysay,“Yes,sir,”andgodothetask?Onyourlife,hwillnot.Hewilllookatyououtofafishyeyeandaskoneormoreofthefollowingquestions:Whowashe?Whichencyclopedia?Whereistheencyclopedia?WasIhiredforthat?What’sthematterwithCharliedoingit?Ishedead?Isthereanyhurry?ShantIbringyouthebookandletyoulookitupyourself?Whatdoyouwanttoknowfor?AndIwilllayyoutentoonethatafteryouhaveansweredthequestions,andexplainedhowtofindtheinformation,andwhyyouwantit,theclerkwillgooffandgetoneoftheotherclerkstohelphimtrytofindCorreggio-andthencomebackandtellyouthereisnosuchman.OfcourseImaylosemybet,butaccordingtotheLawofAverage,Iwillnot.Now,ifyouarewise,youwillnotbothertoexplaintoyou“assistant”thatCorreggioisindexedundertheC’s,notintheK’s,butyouwillsmileverysweetlyandsay,“Nevermind,”andgolookitupyourself.Andthisincapacityforindependentaction,thismoralstupidity,thisinfirmityofthewill,thisunwillingnesstocheerfullycatchholdandlift-thesearethethingsthatputpureSocialismsofarintothefuture.Ifmenwillnotactforthemselves,whatwilltheydowhenthebenefitoftheireffortisforall?Advertiseforastenographer,andnineoutoftenwhoapplycanneitherspellnorpunctuateanddonotthinkitnecessaryto.CansuchaonewritealettertoGarcia?“Youseethatbookkeeper,”saidtheforemantomeinalargefactory.“Yes,whatabouthim?”“Well,he’safineaccountant,butifI’dsendhimuptownonanerrand,hemightaccomplishtheerrandallright,andontheotherhand,mightstopatfoursaloonsontheway,andwhenhegottoMainStreetwouldforgetwhathehadbeensentfor.”CansuchamanbeentrustedtocarryamessagetoGarcia?Wehaverecentlybeenhearingmuchmaudlinsympathyexpressedforthe“downtroddendenizensofthesweatshop”andthe“homelesswanderersearchingforhonestemployment,”andwithitalloftengomanyhardwordsforthemeninpower.3Nothingissaidabouttheemployerwhogrowsoldbeforehistimeinavainattempttogetfrowsynever-do-wellstodointelligentwork;andhislong,patientstrivingafter“help”thatdoesnothingbutloafwhenhisbackisturned.”Ineverystoreandfactorythereisaconstantweedingoutprocessgoingon.Theemployerisconstantlysendingaway“help”thathaveshowntheirincapacitytofurthertheinterestsofthebusiness,andothersarebeingt